


Not All Fairytales Start in Castles

by fluffehpenguin



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Alternate Start, Alternate Universe, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Depressed trash man is assimilated with hangry and needy black slime, Hurt/Comfort, May become smutty eventually, Minor Experimentation, Multichapter, Other, Suicide Attempt (end chapter), Volunteer Eddie, a decent amount of it anyways, prompt, slowish burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-08-06 11:37:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16387061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffehpenguin/pseuds/fluffehpenguin
Summary: Losing everything to the Life Foundation was not a good move - unintended but a move nonetheless. Eddie often tended to take the wrong steps at the wrong times. He'd never been the best dancer or good at following orders so it came as no surprise. But this one just happened to cost him everything he cared about. Verging on the edge of being tossed out of his shitty home, living off of frozen foods, Eddie made a tentative step.He signed up for a volunteer project for the company that destroyed his life.He had no clue that this mess of a situation would end up being his best move of all time for all the wrong reasons.





	1. This is Probably the Beginning of the End of Eddie Brock

This was desperate. The lowest of the low that Eddie Brock had ever sunk to. He was swimming in debt and close to drowning in it. Food was running low, money was running low and Eddie was running low in patience, time and emotions. After the Life Foundation debacle, no one was willing to take on a name that carried that much baggage. Especially not Anne.

 

He groaned and pressed his palms against bloodshot eyes, exhausted sobbing and staying up late looking for jobs. Of course he’d been the one to fuck up his relationship. Anne was the only anchor in his life and he’d let go of the rope keeping her tethered to chase something everyone warned him against. He sighed, looking at the ceiling. A beat passed, his headache pressed and finally he dragged his eyes down to the newspaper crumpled in his fingers. _One last scan_.

 

Thumbing through the adverts, he circled what he could decipher, chewing on the back of his pen. _Cleaner wanted- painter wanted_ (circle) _\- bartender needed with ample experien…_ (circle)- _Bouncer with low…_ (circle). His pen stopped. His breathing stopped. Eyebrows drawn in, he frowned at the painfully familiar logo.

 

_“Looking for willing test subjects! Will accept any and all. Must be over 18 and be willing to keep full confidentiality. Pay is 18$ an hour. Call the number listed here:”_

 

“You’re fucking joking with me,” Eddie mumbled, running a hand through his hair as he stared at the advert, hand pausing as he tried to read for the fine print. If this was Carlton Drake’s idea, it would likely be a bad deal. _Something everyone would warn him against_. But to Eddie…

 

 _Imagine what would be hidden, right on the inside. While it wouldn’t work to have a personal case, I could still get all the dirt I need. Maybe Anne might forgive and forget.  I can turn this_ **_whole thing_ ** _around!_

 

Unsure and rather nervous, Eddie thought it over, nearly biting the back of his pen off. He twisted himself in circles. Money, but danger, payback, but possible death, Drake, but _a told you so_. Eventually, his fingers were pressing the number on the paper into his phone, hand shaking as he lifted it up to his ear.

 

“Hello! Are you looking to enroll in the trial tests for the-“

 

“Yes… and before you ask, my name is Edward Charles Allan Brock. You know, Eddie Brock.”

 

A thick pause.

 

“I’m sure Mr Drake will love your involvement.”

 

* * *

 

It took a lot of convincing to get his name down on the contract. He had scanned through it, once, twice, eight times before he was satisfied. He was desperate and his reporter’s urge to know the truth was eating him alive. He needed to know what was behind those closed doors. He wondered what lies were being concocted to hide such a seemingly important project. A woman with thin rimmed glasses and high ponytail pulled back sharply yet unable to contain the flyaway strands of hair greeted him. “My name is Dr. Skirth. I’ll be guiding you through the process,” she responded, happily leading him along winding corridors that were all bleach white and too pristine.

 

“So, uh, not to pry, but I’d like to know what I’m getting into,” Eddie said, rubbing at the back of his neck as nerves set in… along with mischievousness. “It’s simple. There’s a new… vaccination we’ve been testing,” she replied, voice seemingly wrong, strained. She was scared. “Listen, doc, you can't lie to person like me. A rocket project dabbling in space doesn’t make _vaccines._ Now, I _know_ Drake has something fishy going on, so I have to wonder… what do you know about this project that he doesn’t-“ he was stopped as she pivoted on her heels, watching him with a tight lipped smile. “Eddie, I know of your reputation. What happened to you and maybe why you signed up for this,” she murmured, smile softening slightly, “I’m sorry about your job, but you just have to bare with me, alright? I don’t know everything and I’m just trying to do my job.” Eddie gave a curt nod of understanding. He had only just begun to learn when to shut his mouth.

 

He was brought into a changing room and handed some sort of scrubs, grumbling as he exchanged comfort for the sterile clothes. He passed over the clothes almost regretfully. “Please keep the hoodie safe,” he asked, not wanting to leave that article. Anne had gotten it for his birthday the previous year. It brought a semblance of comfort and stability in his otherwise unstable life. She gave him a curt nod, placing a hand on the center of his back and leading him through a set of sliding doors.

 

They closed with a painfully final clang of metal.

 

He paused as he looked about. 7 others stood about, most shuffling their feet or murmuring to themselves. His eyes narrowed as he stared down at a select few. _Why would 3 of them have red stars?_ He wondered, frowning and near wincing as he glanced down at his own shirt. No such image there.

 

“Welcome, welcome!” That voice jarred Eddie’s senses, his eyes narrowing at a suit and facade as pristine as the lab around them. Carlton Drake stood proudly, arms open as he addressed the group. “As you know, the Life Foundation is constantly trying to find ways in which to help and preserve human life and help the Earth,” _That’s a bag of shitty lies_ , “But while we have money, we know there are people out there who don’t. So we decided to create a sort of… _symbiosis_ between us and the public.”

 

There was danger there and Eddie didn’t like the crawl up his spine. He also didn’t like the entrance of five armed men, teeth bared with assault rifles and a spittle of bullets. It was then that he smelt it. _That’s… that’s a strong smell of cleaning supplies_. He’d taken chemistry in High School. This didn’t smell of sulphur or disastrous reactions that exploded. In fact, it didn’t even look like they were testing much at all. Sure there were instruments and an abundance of equipment, but it all looked immaculate. Almost… too constructed. He let his eyes stray, ignoring the pompous bastard giving out a not-so-heartfelt speech. The cubicles grafted into the ground… why would they need something like that? _Why should their vital signs be monitored?_ He narrowed his eyes, seeing the cloth covering similar objects in each room. _Did… Did that one just fucking shake?_ That became less of a red flag and more of a signal flare booming in the night sky. In fact, it was closer to the splatter of crimson that had clearly been missed by the bleach.

 

“They’re going to kill us… _You’re going to kill us!_ ” Eddie’s voice cracked at the beginning, a realisation dawning, but it was certainly heeded. Blue clashed against deep amber. “Ah, Mr. Brock. Still trying to pin nothing on us?” Drake mused, eyes laced with malice. Before Eddie could reply, there was a nozzle pressed to his spine. “Don’t worry folks, those are merely the ramblings of a clearly _desperate_ man,” Oh _nice_ , Drake. 

 

He was ushered into the group with plain shirts, sweat dripping down his chest and neck. Someone brushed their hand against his. He glanced up, eyes widening when he saw Maria’s familiar, and surprisingly clean, smile. “Don’t worry, Eddie. We’ll be fine.” He felt his stomach drop at the red star printed on her shirt, the touch broken as she moved to the side with the other two candidates. This couldn't end well for anyone involved.

 

“Alright. Time for the main event! Guards, escort the others to their… rooms,” Drake mused, a smirk barely brushing his expression as he caught Eddie’s own panic stricken one.

 

“I’ll see you soon, Eddie,” his name was murmured in his ear as he passed the fucking snake.

 

Following a command with guns at your back left no choice to the group. They were escorted to chambers lining the walls, able to watch everything in the three main containers in the centre. Either way, the dread that crept into Eddie’s system threatened to kill him- besides the bullets. He rarely backed down from a challenge like this. But past Eddie had learnt that rubbing up big profiles the wrong way lead to dead bodies. So instead, there was shock making his joints seize up as he was shoved into a cell. He tried. He can at least say that. He attempted to scramble to his feet fast enough, only to bang against sealed doors.

 

With a sense of finality, he fell on his ass. True, he was scared. Yet curiosity was hard to snuffle out. Secret Projects were Eddie's personal favourites in his journalism career. Drake was swarmed with doctors who crowded around the patients. And if he was going to die here, he may as well know what the fuck they were going to do to him. He curled up, resting his chin on his knees as he stared out with tired eyes. He remembered when he last ate. He remembered it being unsatisfying. He should have known better than this. Should have splurged on a good meal if it was going to be his last. Not have just eaten fucking half assed tater tots. Maria gave him a glance. This was followed up with a thumbs up. Eddie managed a smile that barely made it on his expression. At least he could die knowing that he wouldn’t leave a gaping wound in anyone else’s life. At least he had a semblance of familiarity to cling to.

 

He could die being a and being _in_ a mess, most likely depressed and with no strings attached.

 

The patients were moved into each container individually. He was only interested in Maria. 

 

What jolted him out of this stasis of self-pity (or was that self-loathing?) was the panicked shrieks. The curtain had been lifted. Or in this case, the sheet had fallen off and _what the everloving fuck was in those containers-_ They moved like a writhing nest of newly born snakes, just much more viscous and terrifying. At least snakes had faces, at least they looked like they were animals. At least snakes didn’t slam against the containers they were put in with enough force to rattle the glass they were in.

 

Maria was screaming, clawing at a door handle or a entrance that wouldn't open for her. The speakerphones crackled. “Open them.” The liquid or whatever it was, slumped out of the container as the glass pulled away, coalescing on the floor. It seemed hesitant. Yet it was quickly active in seeking out the person in its room. Glancing at the others, it confirmed that, yes, this was normal behaviour from the things. Maria did her best. She tried to avoid it, yowling at it to “Stop! Don’t come closer! Let us out, Drake- _please!_ ” Just like Eddie, she tried. At least she could have said that. The thing climbed up her pants, stark against white clothing. Even from here, Eddie could see how she was hyperventilating, beyond panicked and horrified. He couldn't blame her. He was also terrified and he was the one sealed away from it. It lifted a part of itself, seemingly observing her, sizing her up. _That’s it- it’s going to eat her alive_ , Eddie thought, the sweat on his neck now pouring down his spine at the thought of the spatter of blood on the floor. Eddie blinked, turned his head away for a moment. He didn’t want to see Maria being devoured. Eddie didn’t want to know what it would look like if- _when_ he was going to be devoured.

 

But no screams came. At least not the “I’m in an agonisingly slow death and I want it to end” kind of scream. Eddie dared to look back, to see what had happened to his street side acquaintance. She was frantically tearing at her clothing and skin, gasping and glancing about with a manic look in her eyes.

 

The slime was nowhere to be seen.

 

He stood and pressed his face to the glass, trying to get a better look. _Maybe it’s just hiding. Maybe it’s waiting for the right moment to pounce._ But it never came. Instead, Maria sunk to the ground and assumed the fetal position, pounding at the side of her head.

 

His eyes darted to the doctors all anxiously waiting. For what? He didn’t- There came the “ _Oh god I’m dying an agonisingly slow death_ ” screams. His gaze darted to the source of the noise. Another one of the star studded patients was howling with a guttural and raw voice, seeming to be having a seizure on the ground. It took a few seconds to realise that wasn’t a normal seizure. Eddie’s tater tots leapt into his throat as the man’s neck twisted incorrectly, his legs bending the opposite way they should bend. His jaw must have been dislocated with how wide it was, screams stuck in a throat all bent at the wrong angle. The next second, he was limp. Blood dribbled out his nose and over his top lip. His eyes were rolled to the back of his head as the creature _extracted itself from his chest_. “You’ve got to be fucking joking with me,” Eddie breathed, rubbing furiously at his eyes as the thing slunk away from the body. It took a few long minutes to sink in.

 

The creatures weren't hiding.

 

No.

 

These things were just inhabiting.

 

These things were just realised horror creatures in the form of parasites.

 

And Eddie would eventually be just a corpse on the floor, dead at the hands of a corporation that ruined his life.

 

_Well... I've got no chance of making it out of this one alive._


	2. Sinking Further into Myself

_ … I doubt she’ll care too much. She’ll forget with Dan there to comfort her. Can’t blame her. I screwed up her life and left it in shambles for her to pick up- god dammit… _

 

It didn’t take long for him to lose himself in anger and pain. Maybe it was the endless cacophony beyond his glass and the screams permeating the place. Maybe it was the hopelessness of it all. Either way, Eddie was sinking. 

 

He barely ate whatever they gave him. It was all disgusting either way. He was losing weight rapidly and hated how he was struggling to look after whatever he had left. Some part of him hoped that he would die before being subjected to being forcibly bonded to one of those aliens. At least 2 of the other subjects had passed away. It seemed the blue tinged one was determined to murder each host that was offered to it. He’d heard that it was eating away at its host from the inside. The yellow one had only killed its first host yesterday. He managed to keep track of the days by squinting and pressed his face to the glass to see the blurry number next to Maria’s container.  _ 6 days… _

 

The doctors were excited that Maria was doing as well as she was, but they still seemed unsure. She spoke to herself in a hushed voice. She had stopped screaming mainly because her throat was probably scratched to hell. Some nights (at least what he thought they were when all the lights went off and everyone left) he would hear her slamming her forehead against something or other. The next morning the doctors would come in and tut at the blood dripping off the glass before hastily writing down observations. 

 

Yet on the 7th night, things changed. Eddie was jerked from a restless sleep at a grating noise. He forced himself to roll over in the pitiful bed the corporation had provided. He had already made a dip in the new mattress. At least he hoped it was new. Otherwise, it meant that there had been plenty before him to lie there and wait for an inevitable death. He wasn’t given another chance to ponder that painful thought as the grating noise sharpened suddenly. It became shrill and piercing. He shoved his face into his pillow, clapping his hands over his ears to try shut off the assault. It ended as abruptly as it had started. Too abruptly. Eddie didn’t and did want to know what had just happened. He  _ needed _ to know. Surprises weren’t exactly his favourite. Neither was pondering till he forgot what had even started his train of thought. With a sigh, he slipped the sheet off his legs, his bare feet padding on the laminated flooring. It was easier to clean blood from. He placed his hands around his eyes as he peered into the darkness, looking for the source of the noise. 

 

At first, it all looked similar. Three patients curled up on the floor, some writhing in pain and others just completely still. Only morning would tell if those patients were alive or not. He narrowed his eyes, jaw clenched from the strain of peeking into the dark. But something shifted. Something darker and more akin to the abyss of space. His body bristled as the few lights shining in the three main containers gave him an answer. Maria was still. That was not normal. Neither was the blackest of ink seeping from her pores and out of her chest. 

 

Eddie choked on his sharp inhale. The only lifeline he had left, the only appreciated familiarity, was now stolen from the abyss that crawled along her body. Eddie understood that much now.

 

He sunk to the floor, that loneliness that came with being secluded besides doctors that treated you as an object overwhelmed him. He curled up tight enough that his muscles cramped. It hurt, but not enough to have him sprawled on the floor. And he didn’t hold back the sobs. 

 

_ Anne is going to forget. My parents are either dead or refuse to remember me. Maria is dead. Mrs Chenn won’t even know if anything is  _ wrong _ with me.  _

 

He’d made so many enemies trying to do good, to give justice, that he’d sacrificed everything. No- he’d been selfish. He’d forgotten about other’s feelings in striving for greatness. He’d wanted to be the best there ever was in journalism. Now he was alone, without friends, without support and with nothing there to keep him grounded. It was all so painfully numbing.

 

Without any incentive, Eddie felt himself drift off. And for once, he didn’t resist the pull of sleep, knowing the nightmares would come regardless. Nightmares of the abyss swallowing him whole before it grew from his chest to leave him lifeless in a sea of white and blue.

  
  
  


Gasping and near screaming, Eddie woke with a shock to his system. It took a moment to realise that, no, he wasn’t dead- not yet. He ran his hands through his hair, desperately remembering how to breathe as the stream of the usual doctors came in. He shifted uncomfortably, frowning as Drake strolled in, wearing the familiar turtleneck. “Fucking prick,” Eddie grumbled, rubbing at his eyes and deciding to look away from Maria’s tank. At least he could get some joy out of knowing Drake looked so dumb in his Steve Jobs look alike style. He made to stand and go back to moping on his bed and ignoring the food given to him. But low and behold, there stood the cactus himself, smiling at him like he’d watched his preschool bully being sent to hospital.

 

“Mr Brock?  _ Eddie _ ,” that lilt to his name made his lips curl. “Good morning asshat. How was the sleep? Miss’s off fucking a better man?” Eddie sneered, actually enjoying the distain that flickered across Drake’s expression. If he was here, may as well get some enjoyment out of it. “ _ Oh! _ Or were you enjoying your favourite dildo-?” Eddie was shut up by the slam on the glass, the usually composed man losing his temper. “You think you’re so funny, Mr Brock? We’ll see how much laughter you’ll be having when you bond with your very own symbiote,” He hissed, the snarl dissolving into a maniacal grin.

 

Eddie seized up as the glass slid open, a tag team of two guards strolling in to grab at his raised arms, shoving them roughly behind his back. “Easy, easy. It’s not like- like I meant all that shit! Just banter,” he tried, laughing nervously as he was dragged to the centre of the area. It took a few seconds to realise there was more than met the eye. 

 

As in there was a second dead patient in a crimson coated room, now with a few fresh strokes added to the mix. The blue  _ symbiote _ squirmed about, seeking. Eddie gulped down the sliver of saliva left in his mouth. He frantically glanced between the two containers, stomach lurching at Maria’s limp body. 

 

“D-do I get a  _ choice _ -?” Drake had the nerve to chuckle. “After everything you put me through? The emails, phone calls and nosy questions about my reputation? No, Eddie. You don’t.” Well… this was it. His last few moments. Maybe he’d have a nice quick death. He’d just be another body to the pile. For now, he was alright with that.

 

“Put him with that one,” Drake instructed, pointing to the red sprayed room. Eddie felt his legs begin to shake. He was only human and feared death like most yet… he didn’t struggle, merely let the guards start pulling him along for the ride. He knew that struggling would just bring more pain. 

 

“Wait.”

 

That blessed pause was only enjoyed for that moment. “Let’s make him  _ suffer _ .”

 

Eddie felt panic rising in his throat. “Mr. Drake, are you sure that’s a good idea? That symbiote is not…,” Dr. Skirth questioned, glancing fervently to Eddie’s pleading expression. He wondered if she was trying to give him a decent end rather than watching him wither away to nothing. “Oh, I’m sure, Dora- absolutely positive… Now, incapacitate the symbiote and get that body out there,” Drake ordered. There was a nagging whistle of a tone in Eddie’s ears, making him flinch a little. Luckily his deaf tenant had imparted his partial hearing difficulties to Eddie with his insufferable music. Clearly, the symbiote didn’t have that luxury. It seemed to writhe in pain, that grating noise he heard earlier ripping out the blob now curling up in the corner. The clean up was fast, a thing they had obviously done more than 10 times. 

 

As soon as Maria was dragged out of sight, Eddie was shoved roughly into the enclosure, stumbling on his own feet and onto the floor. Eddie wished he could have stopped the tears welling up in his bloodshot eyes. He wanted a semblance of decency before he died. 

 

“You won’t get away with this Drake!” He howled, struggling to stand and slam his fist against the space where there had been an entrance. He knew it was hopeless. “And how do you know that I haven’t already?” Drake mused over his shoulder as he turned away from the mess in the labs. “Hey! Maybe I’ll see your mom in hell!” Eddie yelled, wanting to at least get one last jab in. Drake’s shoulders merely shook with amusement as he strolled out the sealed doors, that clang following the end of the annoying noise vibrating the glass. But that meant…

 

Eddie turned slowly, watching as the symbiote gradually grew still.  _ Is it… is it dead? That would be fantastic- _ It stirred to life after a minute or so, seeming to get its bearings. It appeared to be crawling at a much slower pace than it had when it latched onto Maria. It didn’t leap at him as if it was ravenous. It appeared as if it was drugged. Eddie moved around it as much as he could, but there was an inevitability to this. He blamed it on fight or flight habits- and god, he was no fighter. As it shook off the sound, it became more agitated and seemingly frustrated with his dodging. Eventually, Eddie’s exhaustion mixed with his failing hope had him sliding down against the glass, holding back tears as he tried to make himself as small as possible. He let it come to him. He watched it out the corner of his blurry vision. It carefully glided over his foot, making him wince and pull away even as it curled up across his clothing, now stained with bits of porridge and other bland foods. It paused at his chest. It seemed to pause, the body sticking and pulling at his clothing. But nothing could prepare him for the feeling of it burrowing under his skin, both sinking and shoving its way through.

 

Eddie had no clue how to adjust to this.

 

It sat around his chest, almost squeezing and creating a pins and needles effect just under his skin. His body went into a full blown panic. Sweat began to pour down his forehead as he threw his head back and gritted his teeth, trying to fight off the invasion. A pain suddenly struck him in his own mind. It felt less like a migraine or headache and more like someone driving an ice pick through his skull. It targeted his memories and constricted his stomach like a vice. But,  _ god _ , the fucking  _ hunger _ . 

 

He was desperate for everything and anything. Actually, scratch that. It was  _ meat _ . He wanted warm and silky steak, five fish all deboned and raw. Maybe a whole chicken cooked in a lemon and garlic sauce? He groaned and fell onto his side, grasping at his stomach as it growled pathetically. He didn’t want to move as he let the creature bury deeper into his mind, unable to put up barriers with how fast it took them down. 

 

_ Stop… Fuck, please make it stop _ , he thought, grasping at his hair and head.  _ Please, it hurts. _

 

Shockingly, it did.

 

The sudden withdrawal made Eddie start, unfurling on the ground as his chest finally took in a breath. He hadn’t even noticed he’d been holding it. He blinked away tears, rubbing furiously at his cheeks. He pressed a trembling hand to his chest, unable to shake the experience of a thousands of fish slipping along his lungs and stomach, finally coming to rest on his heart. 

 

**Eddie** .

 

That’s…  _ that’s not fucking right _ . Eddie panicked and stumbled upright, tearing a hand through his hair. “Who the fuck said that?” He yelled, looking about frantically. 

 

**You** **_are_ ** **the Eddie, aren’t you?**

 

He wished to throw up and die, please. Eddie would have loved that. Mainly because this thunderstorm of a voice was absolutely terrifying and he had no clue if he was hallucinating or if it was real. He wasn’t sure which one was better. He opened his mouth hopelessly, body all jammed at the joints. The pause was interrupted as something was slid through the door. The next moment his head swam, lost in a daze. When he came to, he had raw mince stuffed in his hands and covering his cheeks. Instantly, his body attempted to upheave whatever was in it.

 

**Dead.** **How disgusting.**

 

Eddie was on the verge of tears. He felt his body going into shock. 

 

**Eddie. Eddie- stop it. Stop this.**

 

He squeezed his eyes shut and hunched over his knees, shoving the empty plastic away from himself as he crawled to a corner of the container. “Get out of my head!”  He yelled, shaking badly as his brain did its feeble attempt of coping with the situation. 

 

**We can’t, idiot. Now, answer our question. Are you Eddie?**

 

“For fucks sake,  _ yes! _ God, can you leave me alone now?”

 

**Alone?** There was this chuckle, not maniacal, but seemingly amused. **You do not understand, Eddie. You are** ** _mine_** **. You can never be alone because we** ** _own_** **you.** Fantastic. Eddie had experienced possessiveness, but this was worse than that guy who had followed him home after kissing him once. Eddie gave a half assed laugh. “Great… my parasite talks _and_ is a possessive bitch,” he sighed, letting his head loll back. **Parasite?** ** _Parasite?_** The voice boomed, Eddie regretting all his life choices up until this moment. **You should be grateful! We could easily devour your tantalising spleen and** ** _oh_** **your lungs. Yet we shall spare you for now.** Eddie paused, swallowing thickly as he glanced up at the redecoration of the cell opposite his. Maybe he _should_ be grateful that the symbiote that he’d received was at least not tearing him to shreds.

 

The silence suddenly began to settle. Eddie frowned, eyebrows furrowed. He received his answer as to whatever the thing was doing when there was an unscratched itch that surfaced in the back of his mind. “Could you… could you not?” He hissed, squeezing his eyes shut. He was shocked to see memories flip past, as if someone- something was examining them like a movie reel. 

 

**...You knew her.**

 

Eddie rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” he replied tiredly. There was a prick of confusion that entered his own sea of emotions. 

 

**Maria. You knew her. She** **…** **she seemed to see you as kind. Interesting...**

 

Eddie paused. He had always tried to be a better human with all the fuck ups he had managed in his life. Maria just happened to be on the receiving end of it. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “How would you know that-? Wait, why am I even  _ talking  _ to you? You could be manipulating me-  _ using me _ !” Eddie said, distrust forming in his gut at the realisation. He had never really been trusting of those around him. Least of all an alien thing that had possibly just forced him to feast on raw meat. “Drake I swear to fuck if this is another one of your fucked up ways to torture me, I won’t give in!” He howled at doctors watching him with avid interest. They were murmuring amongst themselves, nudging one another and hastily scribbling down words. 

 

**You really are an idiot, Eddie. Why would we? If we wanted to eat you, we would do so.**

 

“But… why aren’t you? Why wouldn’t you? I’m not special, parasite.” There was a thick hiss of distaste from the creature currently squeezing itself near his heart and lung. The vibrations caused his heart to stutter and his breath to come a little short.

 

**No, you aren’t. But you are a healthier host and maybe we could make use of it.**

 

“So what? Are you going to use me as a meat sack to fuel yourself. Like all the others?” He asked, just wanting a straight answer from the voice currently swarming over any thoughts he conjured for himself. He was fine with this. With going mad that is. He might not even know when he was dying, which would be more than appreciated.

 

**Silly Eddie. You won’t die.** Eddie opened his mouth, eyes narrowing as the gears in his head turned. “Are you… are you reading my thoughts?” He questioned, a disbelieving and strangled laugh leaving his lips.

 

**Of course, Eddie. We are one. I wonder… no matter. Later.**

 

Eddie merely chose to lie on the ground and try to banish everything from his mind, including the creature. He was exhausted and starving. Yet, as his mind began to drift to sleep, he felt it, if for a moment- a slick membrane that hugged his cold skin. 

 

In a way, he felt himself sink a layer deeper into himself.

  
**Maria’s Eddie…** **_My_ ** **Eddie...**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will likely take a few more days to finish the next chapter as I need to focus on exam work for Uni. Hope ya'll enjoy this chapter!


	3. Skin Tight and Scared

Silence was no longer an option. When the symbiote wasn’t trying to talk his ear off as he scrambled through memories and attempted to understand his feelings, there was this background hum. Eddie could feel it crawling through the crevices of his brain. It wasn’t unpleasant, per say, maybe even a welcomed distraction. It’s just being open was never Eddie’s strong suit. Now, he had a being who wasn’t even human, who was constantly aware of everything that passed by his train of thought. That’s what really scared Eddie.

 

Yet, he was finding he didn’t mind the company. He’d been isolated and tortured with screams that beckoned his own death that sat around the bend. It was sorta… nice to have something talk to him as a kinda equal.

 

**Hungry**

 

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t that healthy that he saw the creature inhabiting his body as being a partial equal. That is considering he would black out at times and wake up with no recollection of what had happened, having all agency stolen from him at the snap of a finger. It usually happened during feeding time. “We- you have to wait,” Eddie repeated for the umpteenth time. The lights were out and the few patients that were left were sleeping or dead. Even though the mattress he slept on was more of a blanket, the racket in his head was what kept him up.

 

 **If you don’t get us food I will eat your liver** . The warning coupled with the rolling roar of a voice in his mind had Eddie’s sympathetic system pumping adrenaline into his veins and curling his stomach into knots to the point where it was cramping. Eddie buried his face in his hands and began to rock back and forth, exhaustion edging him to try sleep. He couldn’t help it. Being stuck like this for three days, with all the threats to his person and a lack of _human_ touch and _sympathy_ , finally made him snap.

 

Eddie just began to sob.

 

It racked at his chest, past his throat, feeling like someone was grinding a cheese grater against his trachea. The feeling of a headache pressing at his skull made everything worse. He shook violently, sniffling as he merely let his body give up. A mixed of emotions slammed into his brain, not taking the time to decipher who’s was who’s. But there was one that definitely overwhelmed his own. A distinct feeling of guilt.

 

 **Eddie… Eddie, please stop. This tastes terrible.** The symbiote’s voice was quieter and it was attempting to smooth out the growl in its timbre. **Eddie, don’t ignore me… please?** Eddie merely shook his head, clutching at his chest where he could feel the creature was curled up. He could barely breathe, let alone hyperventilate. Having his world crashing down around him had made him harbor stress and this was merely the effect of crushing it under the rug. Wringing out his emotions under the guise of near death was  just a natural order to things. While lost in his thoughts, he didn’t expect to feel something slide against his fingers. But something certainly did. He finally let out a gasp, jumping as the foreign substance retracted from his pinky. He stared at his hand, tremors tearing through his body. As he stared, a tentative black curl poked out of his clothing. It reached forward again and began to expand across his hand. While Eddie had been stunned before, he was quick to act now. He frantically shook his hand, yelping as he tried to paddle away from it. He really should have remembered that the tendril was literally attached to him.

 

**Eddie, calm down. Let me help you.**

 

“And how? You were going to eat my hand!” Eddie accused, wincing as he felt a wave of irritation and desperation pass over his shattered nerves. **Just… trust me**. Eddie was reluctant. Trusting was not his forte. But he didn’t have a choice when both of his arms locked up and he lost control. Seemed the symbiote trusted him as much he trusted the other. Fresh tears were starting to build, teeth gritted as he hung his head, waiting...

 

Yet, instead of searing pain, it felt like his hand was being dipped in oobleck, spreading as if solid, but sliding as if liquid. He wanted to panic, but he was so strung up that he didn’t notice his shoulders softening or his head becoming a little fuzzy. Before he knew it, he could feel the symbiote writhing over his shoulders and his other arm.

 

“Wha- what are you-?”

 

 **You were distressed, were you not? Looking through your memories, this is what people did to calm you down. Do you… do you wish we stopped?** It questioned, giving a shockingly gentle squeeze. Eddie licked his lips, his eyes shutting as he merely felt. While it seemed to smooth over his skin, there was an insisting pressure along the knots in his back. It even curled up against his flesh, almost to the point of tickling him. Eddie couldn’t help the weak chuckle. With that noise, the ink vibrated, adding more pressure to the tense muscles as it shifted in delight. He blinked his eyes open as he realised… “You just purred,” he murmured, disbelieving. Curiosity mixed with confusion edged into his mind. A prod or two and there was a resounding note of recognition.

 

 **You can call it that, if you wish. Are you feeling better, Eddie?** He nodded after taking it all in, moving his fingers as control came back to him. He watched the way the symbiote appeared to squirm over his hands, raising an eyebrow as he realised that, no, his hands weren’t that size nor did they have talons. He startled as the creature withdrew into his skin, marvelling at the sight. “I… I am. Th-thank you, uh, what’s your name again?” He asked, rubbing at his shoulders which felt a lot more relaxed. His chest bubbled a little, a wave seemingly passing underneath the skin. **Our name… well, it’s unpronounceable in your language. However, we believe your friend Maria called us poison or venom at some point. Unfortunately, her body perceived us as just that.** **You may use either.**

 

Eddie nodded, rubbing at his clothing and tilting his head. “Honestly, they both sound stupid,” insult quickly rushed up his spine, giving a hiss in his head, “but… I like Venom. Yeah, I’ll call you Venom.”

 

Once again, there was a purr that rumbled under his skin and Eddie couldn’t help the twinge of a smile on his lips.

 

* * *

 

“Odd, Mr. Brock doesn’t appear affected by the symbiote- at least not anymore,” Dora mumbled, jotting down a note. Despite it all, Drake and science be damned, this was not what she had signed up for. She took a seat by Brock’s container, placing her chin on her palm as she watched him closely. His vitals had yet to fail and he wasn’t panicking or showing the usual signs of an invasion of the symbiote. It was a welcomed sight, especially with how the other patients had died so brutally. She wished to speak, to say anything to keep more civilians out of this but her life and job was on the line. She hoped she could move to something else after this.

 

“Dr. Skirth?” She looked away from the bedraggled man currently lying down on the floor and chatting to no one in particular. “Are the other rooms prepared for the new… volunteers?” Drake questioned, staring into the tank. When she glanced back, Eddie had sat up, holding Drake’s gaze with a silent violence. “I’ll chat to the cleaners today,” she assured, biting back a sigh. “Also… make sure to run extra tests on Mr Brock. Let’s find out what’s making him tick.”

 

Eddie didn’t like the sound of that. “So… the plan?” He asked softly, his newly sharpened hearing barely picking up on the conversation. **We don’t like it Eddie…** said host sighed, rubbing along the nape of his neck, the favoured space of his body mate.

 

“I know… neither do I, trust me.”

 

**We don’t want to hurt you, Eddie. Like Maria said, you are kind and human bodies are so fragile-**

 

“This could be our only way out. Besides, you said you’d keep me safe,” Eddie mused, knowing that was his trump card. He felt a bristle of protectiveness, followed by vines curling along his fingertips to give a squeeze. After that night three days ago, Eddie had let himself go to the symbiote. It had gladly opened its arms to him. Each night, he found himself cradled more and more by clothing that stuck underneath the scrubs and anchored themselves between his pores and weaved together at a molecular basis. 4 days ago, he would have found this horrifying. Now it was his only comfort in the labs bathed in cleaning supplies and the stench of blood. It could also be the sweet nothings whispered directly into his mind to ease the nightmares of snapped necks and blood.

 

**_We need you, Eddie, don’t leave us._ **

 

**_Sh, Eddie, we’re here. You are ours._ **

 

**_Sleep. We will watch over you._ **

 

**_No harm will come to you again._ **

 

Eddie couldn’t lie. He was growing fond of the alien that had attached themselves to him. Hell, it even made him feel strangely happy to think the other was so dependent and caring towards him. Venom curled around his chest and stomach. It was a familiar area for him to be able to be out but not seen. Eddie patted at the tentacles around his waist. **Yes, we will keep our Eddie safe. Then our Eddie will tell us what this thing called pizza is**. The bindings tightened a little, starting to engulf his torso in a familiar gesture. A hug that pulled a genuine smile from Eddie.

 

_We’ll be home soon._

 

Eddie thrashed about on the table, having been incapacitated with a blast he guessed was sound. When he woke he had people strapping him into a contraption, trying desperately to break free. His head buzzed and he knew it wasn’t the calming vibrations of Venom relaxing against his consciousness. He tried to reach out to his other, pulling at the restrains when he didn’t hear a reply. “What are you doing to it!” He yelled, letting out a startled cry as a shock ran down his spine, leaving his body limp. **Ed-die** . He let out a strangled noise hearing his other speak. “Easy, we’ll be fine, we’ll be _fine_ -“

 

He was cut off as a high whine pierced through their bond, his words dissolving into screams. His mind was being ripped to shreds while Venom tore through his organs, spread thin as it tried to keep attached. Eddie felt tears cascading down his cheeks, wrists digging into the binds. “Stop! Pl _ease_ **_stop!_ ** ” His voice dissolved into a perfect blend of horror and teeth, head unwillingly snapping about in all directions. When it stopped, Eddie slumped against his bonds, licking at the trickle of blood that dripped from his nose. The whining was driving him mad. They had _hurt_ them. That was unacceptable- Eddie shook his head slowly, throwing off the musings. Venom only spoke like that, not Eddie.

 

**Edd-ie… it hu-rts.**

 

“I know, I know… it should be over. It’s alright,” Eddie murmured, leaning his head against his own shoulder as Venom barely shifted out his skin to brush against the stubble on his cheeks. **We don’t wa-nt to… to leave you, Eddie.** Eddie let out a choked sob, glad for this kind of contact. It reassured him that the other was still there. For a moment, maybe he had become dependant on the other as well. “I won’t let them… I won’t let them take you, I promise.”

 

The next second there was an excruciating pain that stabbed into his neck, injecting something into his body, Eddie’s vision blurring. The last thing he saw was Drake’s muddled face, his expression that of awe.

 

When Eddie woke, Venom suddenly retracted into his body, the former sitting up and blearily looking about at the commotion. Except there wasn’t any to be seen. He frowned at the massive sheet currently blocking their view from the few clangs and taps of feet. “What- what’s happening?” He questioned, his other gathering at the base of his spine. **Do not know- breakfast!** It screeched as Eddie saw the massive sleeve of meat placed inside along with the 5 litres of water. It was far more than usual. Eddie found his limbs lost to him as the symbiote charged at the food. Yet, Eddie had a bit more sense. He yanked back at his arms and legs, managing to make Venom stumble.

 

 _Stop! Something isn’t right about this_. Venom was trying desperately to get closer to the food while Eddie forced them to take a back seat. Eddie sighed as he was given control, slumping to the ground even as a tendril shot out of his arm and clung to the plastic to bring it closer. “Wha- no! Stupid parasite!” He yelled, rolling over as he took the second to look at his hand, having not really known that the other could extend itself that far.

 

 **Take that back!** It howled, anger and embarrassment flooding Eddie’s senses, abandoning the meat to focus on its host. “Okay, fuck, I’m sorry, V,” he apologized, looking at the pink, brazed, lovely… Eddie shook his head to push away Venom’s influence on his appetite. “I don’t think we should eat that,” he mumbled, rubbing at his arms. “I wonder what’s happening… should we do it today?” He asked, pressing his nose to the glass to try see beyond the curtain. He felt Venom retract. “V? Listen, I know you’re scared, so am I, but I think our window of opportunity is starting to close,” he said. A moment later and Venom had confirmed the metaphor.

 

**Fine. We shall do it today. Just tell us when.**

 

Eddie was comforted by the chatty brain mate as they waited, the human unable to keep his legs or hands still till Venom forced them to relax. It was quickly explained that all Venom did was manipulate the levels in his brain and tug at a few nerve endings and dear fucking god Eddie didn’t really want to know all that. He didn’t want even less control on his life. Yet, he still felt a need to occupy the alien.

 

**Who’s Anne?**

 

It was suddenly asked while Eddie was explaining the difference between various vegetables. Eddie felt his heart choke, lungs shrivel and mind do a backflip. He paused and glanced away as if Venom was speaking to him face to face. “She’s… she’s a wonderful, powerful, dream of a woman,” he replied, letting his head fall back. Venom was quick to properly rifle through his memories until Eddie pushed back.

 

**Eddie?**

 

“That isn’t your business. Just… drop it,”

 

**Why do you always get sad when you think of her?**

 

“I said _drop it_. We need to discuss privacy-“

 

“Welcome all! You’ve been chosen from our long waiting list and we cannot wait for your participation,” Drake’s voice echoed off the walls, Eddie taking a moment to lie on the floor and listen, “Having you here means everything to us and we cannot be more grateful for your contribution to a massive step for mankind!” Eddie closed his eyes, nervously drumming his fingers on his stomach. “Alright… alright. Venom, you ready?” He asked, barely wincing as a few black tendrils slipped over his fingers. **Yes. We’ll take care of you,** the voice assured, accompanying it with a squeeze.

 

Dora Skirth stood slightly to the side of the doctors, clutching her clipboard and flipping through her notes. She didn’t wish to see other hopeful faces full of excitement and trust. They would soon be slack and eyes dull. She sighed, not really listening. Of course, her attention shifted to their currently favourite experiment. Eddie was doing well. He was gaining weight but seemed a lot more at ease than some. Of course, their tests yesterday had put his body and mind under massive stress. It had been a gamble to use such a strong sedative, but it certainly did the trick. It’s why they had shoved much more of it into his- their meal in hopes the pair would be out for the day. She hadn’t understood exactly why Drake had been so interested until she looked at the results herself.

 

Symbiosis had finally been achieved. Yet, splitting the two would be a bad idea and was likely to kill their most successful host, a risk no one was willing to take.

 

However, it seemed they wouldn’t have to. Dora stood to attention when an alarm when off. It was not loud, but still urgent. She slowly turned to the covered enclosure. Glancing at her colleagues and Drake, she took a few hesitant steps to the tank. She grabbed at the sheet and lifted it, eyes narrowing at the data flashing on the glass. Her eyes went wide as panic pushed at her chest. “Sir? _Mr Drake_? We have a situation,” she called, watching as Eddie’s heart began to fail on screen. The symbiote was curled around its host’s organ, seemingly self destructing. She was suddenly shoved away as Carlton Drake yanked off the sheet to see what was occurring, staring at the data and then at Mr Brock - who was currently convulsing on the floor.

 

“Shit. _Shit. Shit!_ We were so _close_!” Drake yelled, slamming the white cover on the ground as Eddie went still from the sudden and fatal heart attack. The murmurs and mounting concern behind Dora caught her attention. She turned to see shocked expressions and fear dripping off of worried gazes. “Let’s skip the pleasantries. Put them in the cells,” Drake hissed, composure lost along with his prized patient. “And get Brock out of there.”

 

Dora watched mournfully as the cleaners arrived, seeming regretful to sweep away such promise. Dora internally cried for the person. Eddie hadn’t been the best, but he didn’t deserve this. Drake had stormed off, probably to brood and try to examine what exactly made Brock tick. She turned away from the scene, making to walk out. She was stopped by a scream that was accompanied by glass crashing to the floor. Whipping around, Dora was met with an inky substance slamming into her chest and shoving her up into the wall. She gasped for air, eyes wide with fear. Eyes that swam with the abyss and blank whites stared back at her, the tendrils whipped out of Eddie’s arm. She was dropped onto the floor, her glasses falling and breaking on the laminate. With her blurry vision she watched their patient charge off past the guards and out the door.

  


Breathing in black, Eddie finally began to come to. His mind and vision came in focus before blurring, gradually make its way back to something normal. A moment later he realised he was sprinting at a gate, body trying to seize up. “Woah, Woah!” He did his best to try stop, gauging how he was going to make it over-

 

**Welcome back, sleepy.**

 

Venom had no such thoughts and continued straight on. Eddie shoved his way into the wire, snapping it like string. Unfortunately neither of them had factored in the roll down the hill. _Ow, ow, shit! Fuck, ow, my wrist_ . He didn’t have time to contemplate if his arm was broken as he ducked back into a full sprint. “Venom, what the fuck are we _doing!_ ” He yelled, dodging roots that snagged at his ankles and threatened to have him in crutches for 2 months. Yet he hadn’t noted most of those and he hadn’t run this fast since he was in high school. He could feel a burn in his lungs that was becoming more and more pressing. Yet, the pain wasn’t… entirely there.

 

**Trust us, Eddie.**

 

And Eddie reluctantly did.

 

Venom trucked through a log, shoving Eddie’s shoulder through it. Eddie stumbled, took too long and before he knew it, he was surrounded. He put his hands up automatically, looking about frantically as quad bikes pulled in and guns were aimed at his person. He shut his eyes, waiting for a swift end. Yet, he was shocked to feel himself yanked upwards, nails digging harshly into bark about 2 meters in the air. “Venom, V,” he was panicked as he looked down, burying his face in the scrubs while his thighs cramped from the run and clinging around the trunk.

 

 **We’ll wait for them to leave,** Venom replied, not understanding what Eddie’s fear was directed at. “Listen. What you did back there was fucking fantastic, but, _please_ , get us down,” he whispered, adrenaline making his recently revived heart hammer against his chest. A very reluctant feeling crept over his limbs. They shimmied down a few branches, watching over the group. Venom pinpointed the quad bike, planting Eddie’s bare feet against the tree. _Wait, wait, not like this-_ Eddie found himself launching towards to bike, slamming down on the back with shocking accuracy. Yet a shock of fear came when his hands rippled with black talons which tore the throat of the man riding the bike, tossing his lifeless form onto the ground while Eddie climbed aboard and sped off.

 

**Are we…?**

 

“Yeah, V… we are. We’re free.”

  
_We are so fucked_ , Eddie thought to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh, so, uh. I feel like I've become addicted to writing this?? I love this dynamic duo (technically outstanding uno) and they have made it hard to study >:c  
> I'm probably going to drop off for a bit to genuinely focus on studying for the weekend. 9th is my Psych exam, yayyyyy


	4. Could We Talk? Privately?

Tearing out the forest, Eddie skidded to a stop, looking out over the highway that stretched ahead of them. He licked at his lips, trying to steady his heart rate. He was still attempting to wrap his head around the fact that he had sliced open a random stranger. At least it was a decent time. Two in the afternoon would provide him with some time to get home. A squeeze on his wrist and he hopped off their ride, easily ripping through the chain link fence. 

 

He took a moment, glancing down at his shirt and frowning. “We aren’t going to get picked up like this,” he mumbled, rubbing his arms.  **Then take them off** , Venom grumbled,  **They’re far too itchy anyways.** “We can’t just be naked on the side of the road! We’ll get taken to prison, let alone picked up,” Eddie huffed, putting his hands on his hips- oblivious to the shiver of pleasure that rocked his stomach and lungs. He was shocked to feel how much thinner he had become, bones now jutting out where there had been muffin tops. He felt a twinge in the back of his mind. Before Eddie could react, his clothes were suddenly torn to shreds by numb hands, talons running through the seams like paper. “ _ What the fuck did I just say-?!” _ His voice cracked and trailed off as his legs and torso were engulfed in sleek, form hugging clothes. The symbiote had the nerve to chuckle. 

 

**Much better. Now let’s… marry a ride?** Venom tried his best with metaphors, Eddie would give them that. It took Eddie a bit to even realise what he was trying to say. “You mean hitch,” he corrected. As a force of habit, he ran his hands over the shirt to try remove any creases, receiving a now familiar hum from his brain mate. 

 

Eddie trotted along the road, further from the hole in the fence and lone quad bike. He stuck out his thumb, rocking on his heels.  **Why are you making that sign?** Venom’s confusion was always entertaining, but only if Eddie had the patience. “It’s how you get people to pull over to pick you up,” he explained casually, the buzz in his mind becoming louder.  **But Eddie, why do we not just do this?** Before Eddie could get anything in, his shirt came alive and grabbed a car trodding along on the left side of the road, dragging it over to them. The tires were screeching as the man attempted to go faster, but found no purchase when the ooze dripped into the front left tire. It stopped right in front of them, tires off tar and on the pine needles. Eddie was shell-shocked. Probably less than the man currently gaping at him from his stolen ride. “I- What just-” The man stuttered, Eddie blinking at the other slowly. “We have to have a long ass talk about this,” Eddie hissed, merely just climbing into the backseat, Venom writhing against his back before settling. 

 

“Uh, sorry about that, just… get us into the city and we’ll leave,” Eddie mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. Until his stomach let out a loud and rude growl. 

 

**Eddie, we’re** **_starving,_ **

 

“Listen man, I don't know who the fuck you think you are-”

 

“I can explain-!”

 

**Let’s eat him,**

 

“Wait,  _ what? _ No! No, we aren’t doing that V!” Eddie yelled, the driver jumping in his seat. Out the corner of his eye, Eddie saw the man scramble for something. Next moment he found himself nose to nose with the mouth of a revolver. 

 

“You  _ clearly _ aren’t well, fam! I’m not afraid to shoot, hey? I don’t know who you are talking to or what the hell just happened, but I-”

 

Eddie wished he could have been braced for this. Venom completely engulfed his form, Eddie losing all sense of himself into the black embrace. However, unlike many of his other blackouts, he was  _ awake. _ This was far different to just a normal hijack of his motor controls. It felt like was was breathing in that darkness, letting it envelope him inside and out. Yet even through the haze, he hated what he saw. The man’s face dripped with horror, Eddie unsure with what was happening as screams became shrill. Watching through eyes that were not his own, he felt his jaw stretch far too wide, ending the shrieking with a sickening crunch and splatter of blood on the seat. Eddie tasted it-  _ felt  _ it. The head slid down his throat, pushing against the restraints of his neck before making its way down his intestines- Suddenly his limbs were his own, yet the copper tang of blood was still present and persistent. He frantically pressed his hands against his stomach, afraid he’d find the bump of a skull. He was shocked to find nothing. He stumbled out the car to dry heave on the side, tears pricking at his eyes. 

 

When he closed them, all he could see is the shard of the man’s spine jutting out of the meat of his neck, spurting crimson onto the headrest. 

 

“Why- what just  _ fucking happened?” _ Eddie cried out, voice crackling with the bile coating his throat.  **We were hungry, Eddie, and that man was going to hurt us** , Venom explained casually, as if it was merely like he had just had a nice dinner date with the guy than fucking chewed off his head. “ _ We can’t just eat random people! _ ” Eddie hissed, a growl running down his spine in retaliation. Eddie huffed, running a hand over his face before glancing to the car. It took a few minutes and a lot of shoving aside of his nerves, but he managed to shift the dead body to the trunk, reluctantly taking a wad of cash from the guy’s wallet. At least the hunger wasn’t as pressing anymore. 

 

Despite all this, he began to wonder… Why was the man so scared of him? Sure, maybe Venom had moved or startled him, but that didn’t make sense with how scared the man had been. Was it to do with how Venom had formed around him? Eddie shook his head and merely climbed back into the driver's seat, glad that Venom would negate the wet fabric. He hadn't driven a car in ages. He checked the side mirrors, made sure he could see, now for the- he let out a near identical scream to the man he had just murdered. His hands clutched at the seat as his body feebly tried to backup, only succeeding in bumping up against the cushions. “ _ What the fuck!  _ **_What the fuck_ ** ?!” He shrieked, his legs shoving at the pedals in his panic.  **Eddie, why are you so scared? That's just us** , Eddie had his hand on the handle and was about to tumble out the car when Venom spoke, his other half pulling him back into the seat. “ _ Just _ us? That's- That’s  _ you _ !” He yowled, running a hand over his mouth to try keep it all down. His reflection in the rear view mirror was one of nightmares. Teeth ragged and eyes that rippled in white, a hulking black form that had milky veins travelling under the skin.  _ Is that what I looked like just now _ ? 

 

 **Eddie, we are one now. You have been chosen to be us, to be bonded with.** **We will not leave you so easily.** Eddie turned the car keys and rested his forehead against the wheel. He let the shakes calm down before sitting upright and shifting the car into gear. “No… we aren’t. You didn’t choose me and that is _never_ happening again, understood?” Eddie calmly said, pulling onto the highway, making sure to flash his hazards and use his flickers. A stifling emotion pushed into his mind, choking his own for a moment. There was no reply. Just a deafening silence. 

 

Eddie heaved out a sigh, turning on the radio and putting the sound lower, his ears prickling with the static. It was better than the quiet. It must have been tuned to an older radio station, considering “Smoke on the Water” was playing. He tapped his fingers on the wheel, humming along idly. A few songs cycled past, Venom finally stirring as Eddie’s humming moved him from his lungs and throat. A familiar chorus of “Woah, woah,” had Eddie shrinking in his seat, his shoulders stiffening.

 

“ _ Uptown girl, she’s been living in her uptown world, _

 

_ I bet she never had a backstreet guy, _

 

_ I bet her mother never told her why,” _

 

**Do you not like this song?** Venom asked, pressing against Eddie’s memories to find traces of the lyrics and what exactly was sparking the negative feelings. He had hummed along to almost every song except for this one and clearly the other was interested and confused by it. The symbiote barely snagged onto an image of the mystery that was Anne Weying before he was shut out. “Not your business,” Eddie grumbled, reaching for the radio to switch stations. Instead, however, his nerves buzzed in his hand before being lost to him, Eddie barely able to take a steady breath with the cocktail of emotions in the back of his mind.

 

“Venom, let me change the station,”

 

**No. Not until you tell me why you don’t like this song and who Anne is.**

 

Eddie harshly exhaled through his nose, wincing at the name. 

 

“I told you who she is-”

 

**Not everything, Eddie. We will find out** **_eventually_ ** **. We do inhabit the same mind and you are terrible at keeping secrets. You wear your heart on your arm.**

 

“It’s on your wrist, idiot,” Eddie snipped, sitting up straight and reluctantly returning his hand to the steering wheel. “Anne and I used to like listening to Billy Joel-” **Who’s Billy Joel?** “-The guy who sings the song. But, uh, I used to… sing this to her,” He said, doing his best to keep his composure. “She was special to me. Very special. We were planning to even get married,” **What’s that?** “God, for a smug bastard, you don’t know a lot, do you? Well, it's usually when two humans have, um, a relationship and decide to make like a- a contract. That we’re going to stay together till we die,” Eddie licked his lips, closing his eyes for just a moment to think. _This… is a lot harder than I expected._ **Why’s that-?** “Stop reading my thoughts, it’s fucking creepy. Just listen for once, fucking Christ,” Eddie hissed, the song finally finishing up on the radio. Venom settled near his stomach, curled up and taught. Sulking. It was bloody sulking.

 

“Alright… to keep this short, I fucked up and it was kinda a big deal. We didn’t get married. I lost my job, lost  _ Anne’s _ job, my fiance and all my credibility,” He blinked away tears building at the corners of his eyes, not paying attention to the ads blowing over his head. “So, yeah. I just get sad when I think about her, okay.”

 

**… You miss her.**

 

Eddie took a deep shudder of a breath and nodded slowly, returning his attention to the radio. At least there was something that the alien understood. He listened as the host began to bubble away about the traffic, Eddie not fully in the moment. However, his eyes widened when he recognised a road. “Traffic piling up on the 208 North bound due to a police block. Do note that you may need to have your driver’s licence at the ready!” The woman practically sang the words, continuing to rattle off other blocks and delays. Eddie’s eyes skimmed to a sign that passed him by.  _ 208 _ . “This is not good,” he mumbled, hoping there would be an off ramp somewhere. Yet, just fifteen minutes later, he was stuck in a line stretching painfully far back. 

 

**Why are you nervous?**

 

“Just- keep quiet, V. Let me do the talking if we get pulled over.”

 

It didn’t help that ABBA was blasting through the dusted speakers. He sighed, shifting uncomfortably as they got closer and closer. There were plenty of policemen and women, all slowing down each car to look inside. The handheld torches flashed into each window, Eddie wishing he could sink into himself. He froze up as the light brushed over him, lingering far too long. “Sorry, sir. Could you please pull over?” The lady asked, motioning to the area they had kept open for cars they were searching.  _ Shit shit shit shit _ . Eddie licked his lips, a nervous habit he had developed while doing interviews. “Alright. We just need to see your licence and then you can go,” she said, flipping through a clipboard. Eddie was surprised to feel his body forcibly relax.  **We’ve got you** . Venom could read that the situation was a bit delicate. 

 

“Oh, hell, sorry Officer. My wallet was stolen with my card in it,” Eddie tried, offering the best smile he could with stress making his knuckles turn white on the steering wheel. “I went out to get some stuff and got mugged.”

 

The woman paused, glancing up and narrowing her eyes at something on the page. “Just… wait a minute, sir,” she said, holding up a hand and retreating past his line of sight. Eddie sighed, bumping his head against the headrest. Something wasn’t sitting right. Eddie took a glance in the side mirror, frowning as he saw the lady chatting with someone else. He was shocked when his vision sharpened, feeling Venom leaning in closer, curiosity picking at both of them. A growl accompanied the rush of adrenaline when Eddie recognised the badge on the other woman.  _ Oh fuck, that was fast _ . The Life Corporation was already trying to nab him. 

 

**What do we do, Eddie?**

 

“Fuck, I don’t know. They’re probably looking for us,” 

 

**Let’s eat them. A nice tasty buffet just for-**

 

“We can’t do that, V! There are far too many people here and I told you we aren’t doing that again!” Eddie hissed, eyes darting back to the mirror as he saw them walking over. 

 

**All it takes is one well placed bite** , Venom sang, Eddie almost feeling how the symbiote licked at his rows of teeth. 

 

Eddie ran a hand through his hair, breathing out slowly as the women came over. “Am I in trouble-?”

“Give it up, Brock. Come back nicely and maybe we can work something out,” The Life Corporation representative was staring him down, her words sending a spike of fear down Eddie’s spine. 

 

“I- I don’t know what you’re talking about-”

 

“Eddie, it’s going to kill you.” That made Eddie’s heart stop. He could see the flashes of blood piling up in the containers, the bodies all bent at a wrong angle.  **WRONG. Never hurt Eddie. We “...keep Eddie SAFE** . **”** That wasn’t his voice. The poor woman who had just been doing her job stumbled back, panic pooling on her expression. Eddie didn’t get a chance to try explain himself or back out of this one. Honestly, he didn’t know how he could. His whole body was stolen from under him, head jerking forward before Venom shoved his leg on the clutch and accelerator. They sped of in a cloud of smoke, the two women yelling after him as Venom roughly shifted gears and shoved the car into a high speed chase. “Shit, shit! V, this is way too fast,” Eddie tried, glancing about frantically as they broke past 140 kilometers per hour. All he received was a mantra of  **Keep Eddie Safe, Keep EddieSafe, KeepEddieSafe-**

 

They were quickly pursued by sirens, Eddie nearly feeling his soul leave his body as they cut across three lanes and back again. The cars were hooting and drivers were yelling at him as they began to enter into the city, Venom still streaking along. The only problem was that the police were catching up. Soon he found himself riding side by side with one, the driver staring at him with single minded determination. He veered closer to him, Venom quick to slip into the next lane. “Stop! You’re gonna get us both killed!” He yelled at the cop, the symbiote unrelinquishing in its control. Yet he found his fingers were tingling a tad. His shirt rippled. The cop came rushing at them. Eddie braced himself for the crash. Yet his sleeve extended and his arm was flung out the open window, a tendril as thick as a tree trunk slamming into the other car and heaved it into the other lane. Eddie didn’t need to look. He heard the crash over the coughing of the engine being pushed too hard. He risked a glance in the mirror, licking his lips as more police cars swerved around the crash, smoke billowing from the wrecked SUV. It was crumpled and torn up. He hoped that everyone was alive in that wreck. 

 

As they got further into the city, Venom loosened their grip on Eddie’s nervous system. It was probably because they weren’t exactly sure where they were going. He managed to swerve into a parking lot, rushing out and making a run for it. It would be difficult for them to find him with the crowd. He mingled with the night time bustle, a whole different kind of people that hung around on corners and outside bars. He glanced about for those who might have been following him before slipping through an alleyway. “Can we- Can we fucking talk about what just happened?” He said, pinching the brink of his nose and taking a moment to stop and rest against a grimy wall.

 

**What is there to talk about?**

 

“Oh, I don’t know, the fact that  _ you’re fucking terrifying and eat people maybe? _ ” Eddie hissed, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the dumpster in front of him. 

 

**Eddie, we can’t help our nature. We don’t want to hurt us. We don’t want to hurt** **_you_ ** **.**

 

“You could have at least mentioned it!”

**We** **_tried_ ** **to warn you,**

 

“How? By complaining you were hungry? By complaining about eating ‘dead meat’ everyday? Well, news flash, that doesn’t automatically equate to  _ I need to eat human heads to survive _ , Venom!” Eddie howled, losing his temper. When he was suddenly yanked up to stand and shoved into the wall, Eddie realised that Venom was at the end of his patience. The anger boiling in his lungs wasn’t only his own. 

 

**We kept you** **_safe_ ** **and this is how you thank us? We kept you company when you were sad, helped you get out of that prison. We are** **_trying_ ** **, Eddie. We do not have the same complexities as the human race. What we have is precious, Eddie, even if you won’t admit it, you** **_know it_ ** **. You are** **_mine_ ** **,** **_Edward Charles Allan Brock_ ** **, and WE are Venom. You** **_need_ ** **us and maybe** **_you_ ** **should be asking more questions than yelling at us!**

 

Eddie could breathe again when the tendrils circling his throat and thrashing about his arms and legs calmed down and sank back into his shirt. Venom let him glide down onto his feet, a few tendrils staying out to stroke soothing circles on his arms and thighs. He was trembling, closing his eyes and taking a moment to gather himself. It was difficult to quell the anger that circled back and forth between them, like a dog chasing its tail. He bit his lip, shoulder sagging as exhaustion plucked at his senses.

 

“... Let’s.. Let’s just go home,” Eddie mumbled, staggering out the alley. He felt a twinge of regret and lingering anger and he had a feeling it was from both of them. Eddie, luckily, recognised where they were. It took a brisk 10 minutes to get to his apartment, the mere idea of sleeping making his head buzz. He rushed up the stairs, slipping and nearly bashing his knee. Venom was quick to right them, taking over their exhausted host to bring them back without wounds. Eddie was given back control, shoving open the door to his shitty apartment.

 

God, it had never felt this good to be back in the damp and dingy rooms. 

 

Eddie managed to steer himself to the fridge, yanking out a bag of tater tots and some cheap ass noodles, turning on the stove. He picked out a tray, turning on the oven and dumping the golden nuggets of colesterol onto the metal. He could feel Venom’s curiosity bubble up to the surface. He snorted and was quick to slide them inside, dusting off his hands on his pants- “Oh. I should…” Eddie glanced down at the form rumbling around him, having been completely sidetracked by the hunger that tore at his stomach. He felt Venom dig about for a second, a hum starting somewhere in the cerebral cortex.  **It should be fine now…** The words confused Eddie for a moment before he had a sudden and desperate need to piss. “A warning would have been nice!” He grumbled, staggering off to the bathroom. At least he had been planning to shower. The symbiote was quick to retract into his body, leaving him entirely naked and very aware that the other had just been his underwear for a few hours. After relieving himself, the trip in the shower was brief, but appreciated by both beings. Eddie had never felt so happy to be clean. He slipped into his usual: Sweatpants and loose hoodie. It was familiar and comforting, something that had been nearly unachievable 12 hours ago.  **Nooo, it itches! Take it off** , Venom demanded, Eddie even noticing that the clothing seemed much more present on his skin than usual. “I’m not going to go strolling around naked, V,” Eddie huffed, walking back to the kitchen. He received a hiss from his counterpart, only offering a snort in response. 

 

He was amazed that the oven hadn’t managed to burn the tater tots yet. On such a miracle, he could deal with one or two under-cooked ones. He turned back to the stove, planning to fill a pot with boiling water, a smile playing at his lips as he felt the other writhe over his skin. However, confusion surfaced as he realised he felt more… empty. There was less restlessness in his chest and neck. He grumbled as a tendril slapped him in the face. “What the hell are you-?” Eddie turned, expecting to see a few more of those tendrils snapping up the potato treats, considering there was a lot of ruffling going on behind him. 

 

What he saw instead was a floating bobble head with far too many teeth. Sure, he’d seen it in the mirror, but seeing it solid and undulating was completely different experience. Of course, Eddie couldn’t help but scream which was instantly followed by a yowl as Eddie’s hand fell on top of the burning hot stove in his scramble. 

 

Venom’s disembodied head flicked up as his host was burnt, Eddie met with wide white eyes that watched him carefully. The symbiote offered him a grin, probably trying to be sympathetic. It was then, that Eddie realised that his vision wasn’t  _ exactly _ right, and oh, oh yeah. That’s the floor.

 

Eddie barely heard it before he passed out, but it was still there.

 

**Pussy.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the longest chapter yet, wow. really wanted to dive into Eddie's and Venom's relationship and dynamic in this one. Next chapter may be a bit briefer and will still take a bit as I'm still studying and all that jazz. I'll also be adding some tags along the way now that the plot is more solidified in my head, so please keep an eye out for trigger warnings. I'll also add in the notes and stuff to make sure.


	5. Rocking the Relationship

Eddie woke with the blinds partially open and his mouth all fuzzy from sleep. He shifted and blinked, patting at the duvet and the pillow behind his head.  _ Since… when did I get home? _ Rubbing at his eyes, Eddie sat up, pressing his tongue to the roof of his mouth to try deal with the taste in his mouth. It tasted almost like blood _. _ In a rush, memories came crashing back into his mind. He inhaled sharply at the image of the stranger and let it out shakily at the ghoulish visage of Venom. His hand flew up to his head, surprised to find no gash- not even a bump.

 

Disrupted from Eddie’s awakening, Venom’s face was sprouted from his shoulder, grin manic and their face that of a nightmare come alive.  **“Goodmorning, Eddie.”** Eddie couldn’t help but try stumble back, only succeeding in falling off the side of the bed as his hand misjudged how far away he was. “C-Christ, could you not greet me like that?” He huffed, managing to get his shoulders to relax against the grubby carpet. Luckily it wasn’t the wooden floor this time. The opalescent tears on Venom’s face hovered just above the edge, head tilting as they watched their host make a fool of himself.  **“What would you prefer? Rise and shine?”** Venom questioned, floating down to prod at the other. Eddie manage to not panic this time, merely letting his head fall back to the floor. “That’s not what I meant,” Eddie huffed, running his hands over his face. He paused.  _ Huh _ .  _ No burns _ .

 

Venom purred, their grin managing to look a tad softer.  **“They were hurting us. Hurting my Eddie,”** Venom replied to his thoughts, Eddie’s eyebrows furrowing. “You’re really possessive, aren’t you?” He mumbled, shoving himself to his feet, denying how his chest tightened at that proclamation. He managed to stumble through his older morning routine, glad he could do it with a sense of automation. Venom followed like his shadow, curious about everything he did. Eddie poured cereal, realising with a start that the milk would not be really  _ fresh _ .

 

“Great… Do you want anything to eat-?”

 

**“Always hungry, Eddie. Can we go eat someone else?”**

 

Eddie heaved out a groan and planted his face in the bowl of a bone dry meal. A thrum echoed from his other.

 

**“We’ll take that as a yes!”** Venom exclaimed, the energy that flooded Eddie’s system making his head spin. “No, Venom. It’s a no,” Eddie clarified, staring down at the All Bran before tossing it in the bin. “I’ll have to go out and find some stuff for you, huh?” Eddie mumbled, pressing his palm to his forehead. He racked his brain for a moment, trying to remember the next step- “Oh  _ fuck _ .”

 

Eddie rushed to his bedside table, scrabbling at the drawer and yanking it out. He let out a relieved sigh at the sight of his phone. The blob still hovering at his ear lent forward, eyes narrowing at the block shaped object. Venom hissed as the screen lit up, shrinking in size and hiding behind Eddie’s neck, preparing if they needed to protect their host. The chuckle that rumbled from the other made the symbiote relax, taken aback by the flush of chemicals that it easily snatched up. But the emotion was much more than just a few fires in the neurons. Venom took a moment to admire the odd sensation that ran up Eddie’s spine and warmed his chest.

 

Eddie found Venom’s antics amusing- at least the non-violent ones. He winced as he looked at the screen.  _ 13 Missed Calls: Anne. 34 Whatsapp Messages from 3 chats. 4 New emails. _ Venom grimaced as the warmth they’d been enjoying became thick with a pain they couldn’t fix. They’d tried to when Eddie would grow so lonely in their cage that he couldn’t stop crying. They bumped against their host’s neck.  **“You don’t need anyone else, Eddie. You have us. You are perfect for us.”**

 

Eddie sighed shakily, his thumb straying to the notifications. “I… I just need to tell her we’re- I’m fine,” he said, bringing up a hand to pat at the other. The hum increased into a purr that even Eddie could feel in his lungs, a smile managing to pick at his lips.  **“Will I get to see this Anne?”** Venom asked, their tongue licking at their teeth. “I-I don’t know… maybe someday,” Eddie mused, finally pressing the call button. Either way, Eddie wanted to see Anne for many reasons. He wanted to see a familiar face. He wanted to have human touch that wasn’t rough or full of ill will. But what he  _ needed _ to do was to tell Anne about the Life Foundation, to get the evidence out there and expose them.

 

After a ring or three, the dial clicked.

 

“Hello, this is Anne Weying speaking,”

 

Oh, god, Eddie could have started sobbing on the spot.

 

“Um, hello?”

 

Shell shocked Eddie had completely forgotten to answer.

 

“ _ Shit- _ is it really you Anne? I- It’s Eddie-”

 

“ _ Eddie?! _ Oh my- holy… Eddie, we thought you had  _ died _ ! Where have you  _ been _ for three weeks? And why have you been ignoring my calls?” The concern that flooded through the line was something Eddie was unsure he was prepared for.

 

“It’s… it’s a long story. B-but I need to see you. It’s about the Life Foundation-”

 

A suffering sigh split Eddie’s elated mood in half.

 

“Eddie, you have to let it go-”

 

“ _ No _ , no, Annie. You don’t know what they’re doing there! As I said- please, please just- just meet me to talk...”

 

“Fine. Fine. If it’s that urgent, come meet Dan and I at the Banner. We can have a nice,  _ civil _ talk over a nice, civil lunch. My treat.”

 

Eddie bit his lip, unsure. He’d never been properly out in public with his new  _ buddy _ and he had no clue how Venom would react to anyone around them. He also hated being Annie’s charity case. Eddie looked at the pros and cons for just a few seconds.

 

“Alright… Alright. What time?”

 

“2. See you soon, Eddie.”

 

Eddie was partially relieved but also… He looked at the grinning menace next to his ear, grimacing at their obvious interest.  **“What’s a lunch, Eddie?”**

  
  
  
  
  


Venom begrudgingly curled up in Eddie’s chest. After a few explanations, Venom was well acquainted with what this lunch concept was. They found it odd that humans constricted themselves to such strict eating times, but they could make do. Eddie had also warned them not to cause a ‘scene.’ Gathering from their previous knowledge, that essentially meant no eating of heads. A pity. But they were willing to try some restraint if it meant that Eddie would be happy.

 

Eddie fitted on his helmet and leapt onto his bike, letting out a relieved sigh as it started with a splutter. It just needed a bit of a kick. A few revs and the world began to pass in a blur. It was a wondrous feeling that stole Eddie’s breath away. He clenched his teeth as he felt the ebb from his shoulder. Risking a glance, he blinked at the blob currently bobbing in the wind. Venom’s teeth were smaller while his tongue hung out the maw. It wasn’t the fully formed head- in fact, Eddie thought it was kinda cute. He was shocked to feel his hands yank him to the side, body quick to automatically stabilise their ride.  **I am not cute and you need to concentrate!** Venom grumbled, Eddie failing to bite back a smile. “V, you’re right. You aren’t cute,” A wave of triumph passed over his mind, “You’re  _ adorable _ .” He stopped outside the Banner just as his body mate screeched.  **How dare you! We are fierce and- and strong!** Eddie couldn’t help but laugh, unable to muffle it against his hands. The silence that greeted him was laced with surprise and… “Sure, V.  _ Sure _ .”

 

Eddie climbed off and secured his bike to a lamp post, taking a moment to dust at his jeans and straighten his blazer. He rarely wore it, mainly because it had become a tad too tight around his shoulders, but it was one of the nicer pieces he owned. He really didn’t want to make himself more obvious right now.

 

“Okay, remember, you need to be  _ quiet _ , alright? Just for like, and hour or so.”

 

**Yes, we know, Eddie. Can’t guarantee we’ll be entirely quiet, however. We need meat very soon.**

 

Eddie sighed, rolling his eyes. It was the better answer he could have received. With something as curious and talkative as Venom, it was a massive ask from the symbiote. Hopefully he would stay in line.

 

He stepped in quietly, wincing as his sneakers squealed on the wooden floor. He knew the Banner was expensive, but did they really have to show off? The water feature, the live lobsters and the obnoxiously low lighting frustrated him. He waved a hand at a man that offered him a seat, explaining he was to join two people. It didn’t take long to find Annie. She held a glow to him as per usual. Eddie bit the inside of his cheek, his stomach churning as he saw Dan. God, he wanted to hate him. Dan, however, was far too good for Anne for Eddie to harbour any sort of resentment.  **Let’s** **_eat_ ** **him** , Venom tried to helpfully suggest,  **kill a bird with two stones** . “Again, that’s not the metaphor and no. Now hush!” Eddie hissed into his shoulder, trying to disguise the words as a cough as he walked to his two friends. Anne practically leapt onto him, Eddie staggering and flushing. It took him a moment before he gladly returned the hug. It was warm and he wanted to merely come apart in Anne’s arms. He’d missed this. He’d thought he’d never  _ feel _ this again. He pulled back with an anxious smile, feeling Venom rush through his veins from the high. 

 

“Don’t scare me like that again!” Anne chided, giving him a harsh clap across the cheek. That… was well deserved. “Jesus, you’ve still got a good arm,” Eddie mused, sheepishly rubbing at his cheek. Venom was hissing about in his lungs, wrapped tightly around his collarbones. There was anger. Possessive. A sudden bitterness that Eddie didn’t want to explore for too long.

 

“Eddie! It’s nice to see you again. Annie’s been worried sick,” Dan greeted, standing to shake his hand. Eddie may have gripped it a bit too tightly, desperate for the human touch and comfort. “I wish I couldn’t have been gone for so long, but, uh… it’s- it’s complicated,” he replied, patting Dan’s shoulder before taking a seat opposite the two. Despite the fact that the table wasn’t exactly large, it made the distance between the three of them all the more obvious. A gaping distance marred with questions and Eddie’s fuck ups. “Well, we are here to talk, right Eddie?” Anne added, returning to her seat and offering him a smile. Eddie let out a sigh, nodding and pressing his palm to his forehead. “Yeah, yeah… can we just- can I just order a drink first?” He asked, suppressing the onslaught of memories that threatened to bring him to a panic attack. 

 

**Aren’t there, Eddie. We’re here.**

 

He nodded, Anne raising an eyebrow. “Sure. Are you… alright? You look a bit pale,” she said, reaching out a hand to try brush over his knuckles. He was just as surprised as her when he jerked his hand away, blinking at his own arm. “Y-yeah. It’s been a rough three weeks,” he said, Dan hailing a waiter. Eddie ordered a glass of water, feeling sweat drip down his spine.  **Don’t like this place. It’s cramped. Not a lot of exits.** He felt panic swarm his senses, glancing about rapidly as he realised that he had no  _ clue _ how many agents the Life Foundation had or the amount of their influence. When he looked back at Dan and Anne they were sharing a  _ look _ . The kind that said  _ “I think he’s lying about being fine.”  _ Sure, they were correct, but Eddie didn’t want them to stress over him. 

  
  


As soon as the waiter brought the glass, Eddie drained it while she was still there. Before he could ask for another, she gave him a wink and scribbled down something. Anne was quick to order some fancy pasta dish with vodka and prawns. Dan, like the doctor he was, ordered an equally extravagant sounding wrap- probably packed to the brim with vegetables. “I'll be having the 300 gram sirloin,” he rattled off, feeling that push as Venom dug for answers. Eddie happily gave it to them. “How would you like your steak, sir?” the waitress asked, pen poised.  **Get it nice and rare** , the symbiote purred, writhing with excitement. “I'll have it rare… with wedges,” he replied, avoiding Anne's gaze. “Since when did you have your meat rare?” She enquired, frowning at him with a certain twinkle in her eyes. “It's a newly developed taste,” he said, his leg beginning to bounce as nerves built. “Huh. It's just weird coming from you. You used to refuse to even try a piece of steak with a drop of blood,” she chuckled, taking a dainty sip from a wine glass.

 

From then on they lapsed into a conversation that eased Eddie into the topic he wished to tackle and avoid at the same time. “So… the Life Foundation?” Anne asked, pressing closer as she watched him closely. Dan leaned in, resting his chin on his hand and nodding. Eddie winced at the mention of the company, feeling Venom curl around his thigh, causing him to jerk his knee up in surprise. It was comforting, but unexpected. “Okay… where to start?” He mused, wishing he could avoid the topic as much as possible. “So, I signed up as a volunteer for one of their projects- I found an ad for it while looking for jobs,” he twiddled his thumbs, unable to look the two in the eye. 

 

“I- I wanted to prove that Drake was bad news-”

 

“Eddie…” Anne sighed, rubbing at her forehead. For her age, she shouldn’t have had as many creases and wrinkles as she did. “You should have just  _ dropped _ it-”

 

“No, Annie. It’s- it’s so much worse than I thought,” Eddie admitted, licking his lips as he looked over his shoulder. He lent forward after making sure no one was watching them. “They were… they were experimenting on people. Not the kind where it was benevolent and maybe gave someone a bad cough if the chemicals were wrong. I… I don’t know how to explain this,” he laughed, running his hands through his hair as stress began to flood to the surface.  **Eddie… we’re hungry. There’s** **_live_ ** **food, Eddie-**

 

To Venom's credit, they hadn't been speaking a lot. However, the sensitive topic left him like an open hot wire ready to singe anyone who made the wrong move “Shut up!” He huffed, unable to keep his voice low. Dan straightened, now watching him with a somewhat worried and panicked air. “Eddie… I don’t think you’re well,” Dan stated, reaching out to him. Eddie slapped Dan’s hand away, shocked by his own actions. “I- I didn’t mean to do that-” He looked to Anne, stomach clenching from more than just the lack of food. She looked terrified.  **We’re** **_starving_ ** **. Tater tots not enough. Food taking too long, Eddie.** Technically it had barely been 15 minutes, so under normal circumstances Eddie might have been fine with that. Yet he had an alien currently scurrying all over his organs and nerves and it was starting to open the barriers of an insatiable hunger. The host shook his head roughly. “No- we’re not-” he gasped at a sharp pain that spread from his lower abdomen. It was soothed instantaneously, but he knew something was wrong. There were flashes behind his eyes and he couldn't help the groan that made it past his lips, Venom thrashing near his bladder. It didn't help that he was still  _ so hungry. _ Dan stood up, coming over as Eddie gripped at his side. “You can come with me to the hospital. We can fix whatever happened, get you a therapist. I know the past few months have been difficult…” Eddie tuned it out- no.  _ Venom _ tuned it out. 

 

The symbiote hadn’t wanted to. This was something they didn’t want to lose. They’d fix Eddie later. Right now, all that mattered was that they were hungry and that they'd taken a chew out of their host. It was a breaking point for them.  **I’m sorry.** They swamped over their host’s nervous system, ignoring the couple. They knew better than to scare the customers with their true form. Venom jerked their head, taking deep inhales. Meat. Venom shoved the seat back, storming through the restaurant, letting their senses lead them. They snatched a whole steak from another patron’s plate, shoving it into their mouth and tearing at the meat, ripping chunks from the brown and roasted food. Venom hissed, the sound eerie coming from Eddie’s voice.  **“Overdone.** **_Dead_ ** **,”** Venom growled, turning from the horrified crowd as they tossed the well-done steak back onto the plate. Something that disgusting wouldn’t put a dent in their hunger. Anne rushed up to try stop them, not realising it was falling on ignorant ears. Venom’s one track mindset was currently honed and they had no intention of straying with their  _ perfect _ host’s body in danger.  **“Perfect,”** Venom grinned, shoving past the waiters and hostess, easily brushing off those that attempted to stop them. They vaulted into the lobster tank. Out the corner of their vision, they saw Dan and Annie starring on in mutual shock. Venom shoved a hand into the water, yanking out a crustacean. It squirmed in their grip, but the symbiote took no heed as it buried the dull human teeth into the flesh. 

 

The thing squirmed, Venom’s hunger roaring at the thought of actual prey.

 

The alien swarmed Eddie’s palette with razor teeth that tore into the poor creature, rending through the shell and digging into the meat. Snapping their host’s head, the seafood was torn to pieces before the symbiote finally gave back control, sated for the moment. It was mainly done because Dan was suddenly by Eddie’s side, grasping onto his shoulder as the other came back from his feverish haze. “Wha… what just…” He looked down at his hands, trying to register why he was  _ wet _ . He tried to retrace his steps. He’d been sitting at the table, trying to chase away Venom, trying to explain...  _ Are those-?  _ He scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping over the edge of the tank had it not been for Dan catching his legs and hips to stabilise him.  _ V, what the fuck did you do? _ The taste of the ocean, the unpleasant side, was overriding his nose and mouth. “Please, relax! He’s my patient,” Dan attempted to explain as personnel came rushing to the scene, the doctor coaxing Eddie to step out the water. Anne was standing to the side, knuckles pressed to her red lipstick. It was smudged. Eddie wavered as Dan gripped his arm, the other doing his best to not collapse from the rush. With a start he realised there was no overwhelming hunger. “D-did I…?” He paused and pointed at the tank. “You… you know what. Let’s get you to the hospital,” Dan decided, wrapping an arm around the Eddie’s shoulders and leading him out. 

 

“Did I just fucking eat a live lobster?” 

 

“No- no, Eddie, you didn’t-”

 

**Yes. And it was delicious.**

 

_ So much for a civil lunch _ .

  
  


The drive was awkward to say the least. Eddie sat in the back seat as Anne rode shotgun. Dan assured him his bike would be fine while he was taken to the hospital. Venom was purring as they savoured the morsel of a meal, curling around Eddie’s waist and giving a hug.

 

**We did warn you, Eddie.**

 

“A warning or another few moments would have been appreciated,” he huffed under his breath, eyes flicking to the couple currently murmuring to one another. Likely they were deciding what to do with him, as if he was their child.

 

**Your pancreas might have been gone by then.**

 

“ _ Wait, what? _ ” Eddie yelped, grasping at the area where he had felt that burst of pain before he was blinded by the symbiote. Anne’s head snapped to him, eyes wide and frown evident. “What’s wrong?” She asked, placing a hand on Eddie’s knee, “You can tell us, you know?” He paused, taking a moment to breathe. “Sorry- It’s my stomach,” he lied.

 

**We didn’t** **_want_ ** **to do anything. We’ll fix it! Make it all better once we’ve had a good meal of heads.**

 

Anne bit her lip, shaking her head. Dan smoothly drove into a reserved parking, hopping out and wandering to Annie’s door. He opened said door, offering her a shaking smile and a kiss on the cheek. Eddie twinged, stepping out his own side, biting at his fingers to keep his anxiety down. He followed the couple inside, reluctantly letting them herd him about. Dan went ahead to go set up the MRI while Anne was left on toddler duty, much to Eddie’s chagrin. “Okay, just put on the scrubs and we can get you checked out,” Annie mused, holding out the sterile clothes. Instantly, he felt memories surge back, quick to take a step back from the offered garments. “Do we- I have to wear those?” he asked, rubbing at his shoulders. Venom rumbled in agreement, having shrunk to curl up near his stomach. Annie sighed, worry making itself known again. She stepped forward and patted his shoulder. “Eddie… I don’t know what happened and I know it’s been difficult for you,” she pulled him into a hug with his wet blazer pressing to her white shirt. “Just- make this easy, please?” At the plead, he couldn’t deny her. Annie had been through a lot of shit for him and despite everything that had happened, she still tolerated him. He took the clothes and gave her a weak smile before his cheeks began to flush. “Uh, um… your shirt-” Anne blushed as she realised it had gone see-through with the water, Eddie turning his head away and stealing into a stall to change. 

 

As soon as they were out of sight, Venom surged up from Eddie’s shoulder, remaining in it’s more blob-like form.  **“We don’t like this,”** Venom stated, their voice barely a mumble,  **“What if they try poke us and prod us again?”** Eddie shook his head, peeling off the wet clothing and replacing it with the white cotton. 

 

“Dan is just going to make sure we’re fine.”

 

**“But we** **_are_ ** **fine.”**

 

“V, you took a chunk out of my pancreas. We are not exactly… alright. Dan might know how to help us,” Eddie insisted, patting down the new clothes. Venom huffed, a brief image of swirling red pulsed over their connection. He sighed, giving the symbiote a few strokes before Venom surged back into his body. Stepping out the cubicle, Anne had buttoned up her jacket to hide her bra. She lead him to the operating room, Dan monitoring the machine. He brightened as Eddie came in, nodding to the table inside. “Hop on and we can get started,” Dan said, the other male merely following directions.  **This doesn’t feel good,** Venom stressed, Eddie shaking them off and slipping onto the table that Anne pushed into the MRI machine. Lying under the fluorescent lights made him feel so much more vulnerable, hands twitching and eyes shifting. 

 

“I know, V. Just bare with us-” His whisper was cut off by a strangled gasp as the machine started up. Instantly, Venom was panicking. Needles were being shoved under his skin as the symbiote thrashed about, Eddie’s jaw locked as a scream ripped past his throat. The creature was having a seizure with the frequency that threatened to tear them apart. When it abruptly ended, all Eddie could do was lie still and try to catch his breath. Sweat was pouring down his spine and his forehead, accompanied by a few stray tears. When he was pulled out, Dan was right by his side, pressing two fingers to his neck. He could tell that the couple were yelling at him, probably questions he was supposed to respond to. Eddie barely managed to sit up, and before he could get his bearings, there was black rippling over his hands and arms and  _ shit _ . He easily hoisted Dan by the throat, Venom a fuse-box of anger. One wrong cut of the wire and he would snap the other’s neck. 

 

**“How** **_dare_ ** **you hurt us like that,”** the symbiote spoke, Eddie starting to find the ringing in his ears being replaced with Anne’s screams. 

 

_ Venom, stop! They were only trying to help. _

 

**“But they hurt us, Eddie. Hurt** **_you_ ** **. We will not allow such behaviour-”**

 

_ Did you forget that you literally ate a part of me less than an hour ago? _ Eddie howled, frightened by this thing that could puppeteer him and the fact that Dan’s lips were going blue. Apparently that hit a nerve. Eddie surged back into control, dropping Dan and stumbling back, a mess of emotions pinging off his own. Guilt, anger, betrayal but the worst was the fear- from both of them. “I’m so sorry,  _ I’m so sorry _ ,” Eddie started, shrinking away from the doctor as Annie came rushing over. He wasn’t exactly sure who he was apologising to. Somewhere he thought it wasn’t the two humans in front of him. Dan was staring at him, tremors passing over his body as he stared at the other.

 

“I… I think we found your problem, Eddie.”

 

Internally, the host heard a screech of rage from his partner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aannddd shit picked up. This is probably the longest chapter I've written tbh. Once again, the next one with probably be ready quite a bit later as my exams start and finish next week, so this is going to be a cram to try finish another chapter by next week. Hopefully the extra bits tide ya'll over. From now, I may stray and jump cut from movie scenes as I don't wanna just recount the whole movie.


	6. Blurring the Lines of “We” and “Me”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHA finally, I return! It's been a couple of rough ass weeks, but here is the next chapter! It's a bit slower but I wanted tor really touch on how Eddie is taking this relationship. Currently, I am planning not only a sequel but another multi chapter story (completely new material) and a veryyyy angst one-shot based on the first Venom Inc comic! Also, huge thank you to everyone who keeps commenting and sending kudos! It's such a huge thing to receive such positive feedback from ya'll <3

Explaining something like this was impossible.

 

“What the hell was that!?”

 

“I can explain! Kinda…”

 

“ _You just tried to strangle my boyfriend-”_

 

“You hurt us!”

 

“What is with the plurals? Eddie, you’re scaring me right now and honestly I’ve been dealing with your shit for a long time but this tops the cake-“

 

“It’s not about _Dan_ , Annie! This is-”

 

“Eddie… is this about the Life Foundation?”

 

The conversation stilled. Eddie had stood as Venom fed into their anger, Anne still helping but clinging to Dan. Dan’s eyes showed clear terror while Venom helpfully supplied the heightened senses to sniff out the scent of sweat. The doctor’s words ultimately relaxed them both, realisation dawning on Eddie’s ex-fiancé’s expression. He slowly nodded. “Alright… alright, let me try to explain.”

It was a long, drawn out Q&A, confusing and battered with questions he couldn’t answer himself. Venom supplied what they could, occasionally making themselves known by rustles as they dipped in and out of his pores. Annie’s eye would always dart there when Venom shifted, unable to make themselves comfortable in Eddie’s body. They were restless and anxious. Even now, Eddie could see the deep hues of blue and desaturated purple in his mind’s eye. It was all shaded with the backdrop of infinite space. It surprised him that Venom associated those feelings with their home. A quick flash of his own visage in the lab, resting in bed, attempting to make breakfast, passed him by.

 

**That place is no longer a home.**

 

Eddie shook his head as Anne conversed with Dan, her hand gestures growing more frantic by the minute. Venom tuned in while Eddie did the opposite. The host turned from the bickering couple, Venom peeking out from the back of his neck. **They worry for your health,** they mused, nuzzling at the nape of Eddie’s neck. Eddie’s steps faltered, the symbiote deliberately trying to slow him down and turn around. It seemed amused and less tainted with this unending anger. An improvement after Dan had called them a problem.

 

“I… already knew that.”

 

**Yes… but you didn’t believe it.**

 

Eddie rolled his eyes before attempting to wrestle control from the other, managing to walk- although it looked like he had a carrot up his ass. Dan was the first to notice, rushing after him while Anne followed closely behind. “Eddie, wait!” Anne yelled, managing to get past Dan despite her heels. Eddie sighed, looking back at the other two. “Okay, we’re sorry. This is a _lot_ , I get it-“ he was cut off by a index finger nearly slapping him in the face, eyes going squint for a moment to see it. “I get this has been hard for you, Eddie. After everything…” he couldn’t help but wince, rubbing his one arm and averting his gaze for a second, “but we’re here if you need somewhere or someone to talk to other than yourself.” That at least dragged a smile from the bedraggled man. It didn’t remain.

 

“I can’t stay here for very long. We… we are putting you both in danger the longer we stay,” he stated, glancing up at the cameras mounted to the wall. Anne hesitated, looking from Dan to her ex. Dan fidgeted awkwardly, his eyes nervously brushing over Eddie’s form. Both of them were terrified but clearly worried. “Just… please. Stay safe. Call me when you get home,” she said, placing a hand on Eddie’s arm and letting him slip away. She watched him walk back to the changing rooms to collect his clothes.

 

“Why do you always get yourself into these messes, Eddie,” Anne whispered, the tremors finally starting in her hands which Dan quickly took a hold of. “If anyone will come out of this alive, it’s Brock. He’ll… He’ll be fine. I’ll check the data once it’s processed, alright?” Anne slumped against her boyfriend, nodding numbly to the suggestion.

It took three minutes before Eddie came shuffling out, dressed with a flush on his cheeks as an accessory.

 

“Um, could we- uh, can you guys drive me back so I can get my bike?”

  
  


The drive back to his bike was even worse than leaving the restaurant. Eddie couldn’t stop bickering with Venom, doing his best to answer mentally, something he was not accustomed to. Venom was concerned and furious with the couple. **Why can’t we just eat his head and get Annie back?** Summed up the conversation quite accurately. Either way, seeing his ride still intact and not actually gone was a relief. He bid farewell to the two and returned home.

“No, Venom, we can’t eat the alley cats. That could be someone’s pet,” he huffed, shoving open the door and going to collapse on the couch, running a hand over his face. It had been a rollercoaster of a day. “Well, guess we’re gonna have to figure this out, huh?” He said, licking his lips and staring at the ceiling. Venom unfurled from his arms, spilling onto his chest to give him a hug.

 **We can do anything as long as we’re together** , they assured, Eddie squirming as he felt velvet and saliva press against his neck. “U-um, could you… could you not do that,” he asked, a blush forming on his cheeks. “ **Is that not how you show affection? You did this to Annie?** ” They questioned, pulling away and watching Eddie cautiously. The mere fact that the alien wanted to show affection was baffling to him. Yet knowing the other had rifled through memories of his exploits with Annie was enough to have his mind bristling with caution.

 

“No, Annie and I- we, um… do you know what that does?” He asked, pushing at the head hovering near his neck. The symbiote tilted said head, a click coming from their mouth. It was a habit they had picked up recently. **“Released hormones and diverted blood both North and South of your body… what does that have to do with affection? I thought that was merely an emotion,”** Venom huffed, trying to reason out the complexities of the human mind. An image of his own flushed cheeks and startled expression passed over his eyes. “Oh shit, uh, well… do you… do you understand sex?” He asked, watching as Venom paused to think it over. He let down a few barriers, letting the symbiote experience his memories of sex ed and dubious Google searches. What was projected back was an odd mix of confusion rolled in broad understanding. **“Reproduction? We’ve had many hosts, but humans are so confusing...”** Eddie felt the tell-tale prodding and looping through his head and memories that Venom rifled through.

 

 **“You enjoyed it. Although… you two did not breed** \- “

 

“Alright, Alright, too much information and explanation. It’s for _fun_ , okay? It’s special and really, um- it’s with someone you trust and-”

 

“ **Do you not trust me? Am I not** **_special_ ** **, Eddie?”** Oh, that was jealousy. Definitely jealousy and pouting. The bond flashed with singes of blue and crimson, images flashing behind Eddie’s eyes, things he couldn’t exactly catch. The head was now snarling at him. However, there was a sort of hurt there, barely discernible through their bond.

 

“No! No, that’s not it, Venom. We’re _different_. It’s a human thing. We’re… just… ugh, I need time to figure this out and I’m still hung up on Annie. Just drop it.”

 

Venom hissed, pacing back and forth in his chest before finally settling and reluctantly letting it be, curling up in his chest. He knew when Annie was mentioned that Eddie was not up for the discussion of the topic. Even after the gruelling three weeks of a shared mindscape, they stepped about one another, circling, begging for a fight but neither taking that step forward. A few moments passed, their feet finally coming to a stop. **Eddie, we’re still hungry**.

 

* * *

 

It took each piece of tater tots, raw chicken and a few packets of frozen vegetables to calm the insatiable hunger that threatened to tear them both to shreds. Venom protested to the peas and carrots, but let Eddie eat them while they picked at the kernels, chasing about the corn on the plate before licking them up. He couldn’t help but flinch when the other first manifested, letting his mind catch up with the visage of something that had broken away from him undulating and entirely non-human. It wasn’t as scary when Venom kept labelling things incorrectly. Clearly learning a new language was not the easiest for them. English in general was not the most straightforward language the symbiote could have been given to work with. Between metaphors and the many contradictions, Venom was always mixing up the language in Eddie’s mind.

 

With the dishes beginning to steadily increase in the sink, Eddie was fine with sharing a plate. On Venom’s side, there was a mound of tater tots mixed with chicken that had barely defrosted, the alien neatly picking out the corn from Eddie’s side to make a pile next to the meat. It was odd how Venom could manifest massive hands to delicately pluck each piece of corn from the mix. **“Dead meat in one pile and yellow peas on the other,”** Venom grinned, lapping up the food, the host merely sighing as he attempted to wrestle the plate back before it fell off the counter from Venom’s bad table manners. “Those aren’t peas. It’s called corn,” Eddie corrected, scooping what he could into his mouth, huffing as the plate shifted once again.

 

Even before he could yank his food closer to him, Venom’s tongue brushed over his side. While the creature was quick to shrink away, lips pulled taught, the trail of saliva was practically in the middle of the food. “ _Venom_ ,” Eddie whined, pressing his palm to his forehead. **“These devices are not the best for us. Why shouldn’t we have just eaten it off the plastic?”** They questioned, seemingly sniffing at the green and orange specks still dotted with ice. “Because you nearly ate the packet,” he huffed, glaring miserably at the ruined meal. **“They are still edible,”** Venom tried, nudging the plate till it insistently pressed against his hand. “Not with all your gob on it! That’s fucking gross. I could get some space disease,” Eddie said, pushing it back, not realising he had shoved it hard enough to disrupt the perfectly split piles. The corn tumbled back with the peas and carrot chunks. Venom was quick to whine.

 

**“We separated those for a reason, Eddie! And that remark was just rude and unnecessary,”**

 

“Oh, that’s so rich coming from you,”

 

**“Did not mean to lick disgusting green and orange vegetables. Why would you even want to eat those?”**

 

“Because I need food, just like you- “Their bickering was quickly overrun with harsh knocking on the door. Both of them stilled. Eddie was the first to move. **Eddie, there’s bad people behind that door. Can smell** **_chemicals_ ** **and** **_death_ ** **,** Venom said, slinking back into their host’s back as he stepped off his chair. Crusty vegetables and argument forgotten, Eddie’s mind was reeling with the influx of fear and anger from Venom. Despite their banter, Eddie took the warning from Venom as being truthful. Mainly because he suddenly could breathe in the scents Venom was describing. Sterile, blood and gunpowder. He hesitated, unsure what to do. **Don’t open it.**

 

Even so, they did not get the option. The door was kicked open, the flimsy lock easily bending to a well-placed boot. Eddie felt his spine stiffen up as a gang of military personnel pushed past the ruined door. “Hands in the air, _now!_ ” Eddie compiled, his mind racing with what to do. Venom, however, had other plans. The struggle they had was between pride and Eddie not fully understanding the capabilities of having an alien bonded to your person. Wildly flapping their arms up and down and nearly shouting at each other, the first taser was enough to snap them back to the situation.

The sensation that flooded through Eddie was shockingly comforting. With a start, he realised it was because Venom was essentially hugging his arms as they became weapons. The ooze became tendrils, the fight a whirlwind of limbs that weren’t his own, a graceless dance that ended with blood on Eddie’s floorboards. The haze over the host’s senses kept drifting and sharpening, stuck in this push and pull that threatened his sanity. After that, it became a blur. He dived out the window and surrendered himself to Venom’s care. This constant dipping into the abyss and being yanked out at the last moment was disorientating, yet left him desperate for more. Eddie realised it was the two of them bending the lines of “me” and “we.” It was him finally giving into this. It was him beginning to understand that Venom was more than just a physical comfort for when he was terrified and lonely. It was the We starting to win out. The realisation left Eddie star-struck, even as he leapt onto his bike, Venom breaking the chain keeping it safe as they began their getaway.

 

The chase down the roads left them breathless, Venom creeping further and further up from Eddie’s chest to his neck as they acquired space to manoeuvre their tendrils. The speckles of lights around them, the buildings that passed with each block they rode away, the scent of Eddie’s own exhilaration and sweat, the flashes of magenta and fluorescent purple winding through this bond; all of it was one hell of an experience. This perfect tandem that they had fallen into was startling. Even the sparks of cars being smashed into one another as Venom protected them seemed like fireworks in his mind’s eye. This sort of understanding he had never felt- no… hadn’t acknowledged had sunk deeper than expected. His eyes sharpened, vision flowing out of the water he'd been shoved under.

And suddenly, he was flying and drowning at the same moment, arms flailing as his bike drew away from his body. Even if his body responded with panic to the tar below and the fact that he was far up enough to fall and die, his mind was serene, bathed in black. **Promised to take care of what is** **_ours_ ** **, didn’t we, Eddie?** The snapping of tendrils yanked him back into the seat, Eddie's adrenaline so high his heart might just rip out his chest. It was addicting.

After that, Eddie was gone. Eddie knew then and there that he could only exist in the in-between of Venom. That clash of instinct, violence and protectiveness was inviting. In a way, Venom had seen the worst of him and observed the best when he filed through his memories in the bleached cage. The thoughts sent a vibration tearing through his body. A purr. Eddie couldn’t help but grin. “That was pretty cool,” he mused, taking gulps of air as they finally screamed to a stop. Venom was pleased, tearing through the hormones and chemicals racing through their Eddie. That lapse costed them. That breath being sucked in was torn out in a howl as the SUV ploughed into them, Eddie momentarily rung from their connection as his head bounced against the tar. Pain was digging claws into his flesh and yanking it apart. His leg was at a very wrong angle. His fingers were all bent in odd directions. His head was spitting blood on the sidewalk. His ears rang as a blurry outline of a man stood above him, clearly yelling something he couldn’t hear. But he heard Venom clear as day.

 

 **They will not take this away from** **_me_ ** **, from** **_us_ ** **.**

 

He closed his eyes and let himself be submerged and claimed by that darkness he had craved.

 

It set his bones back, swamped over wounds that were _dare_ made to their body. Venom crowded through his mouth and nostrils, wrapping him in an unyielding grip. When they stood, bound in blood and cells, they were truly one.

 

And they _delighted_ in hurting those who had hurt them.

 

* * *

 

When Eddie came out of it all, he was lying on a roof. It took a second or two to realise that there was a hand in his. When he glanced down, he could only weakly smile. Venom’s hand engulfed his own and held it close to their chest, Eddie blinking as the other ran a thumb over his knuckles. “What… what just happened?” he asked, recovering from the ecstasy burning through his neurotransmitters.

 

**The beauty of what we have, Eddie. True symbiosis.**

 

He let the moment sink in, eyes blearily focusing on the few stars in the night sky. “But… didn’t that happen in the car?”

 

 **Oh, Eddie, no… You did not give yourself to me, let me work with your body rather than use it for my own gains. That was** **_parasitic_ ** **,** Venom’s voice dripped with disgust, the word carrying a meaning that made the alien curl in his lungs. He lay his other hand atop their clasped grip, closing his eyes and leaning his head back.

 

“It was for a reason, V… It was not your fault-”

 

 **A mosquito’s instinct is to take the blood of other living things and give nothing good in return. It is a parasite. What we- I did was not to your liking and gave you little benefit.** **_We_ ** **, the us now, is so much** **_more_ ** **than that.**

 

Eddie couldn’t help the gasp that was squeezed out of his lips, his hand flying up to cover his mouth. His nerves buzzed as he was consumed by the flood of emotions pushing over his own. Relief, dependence, _possessiveness._ It was all charged with an undertone of unconditional care. Coming out of the kaleidoscope that was melded into his neurons, Eddie realised he was crying. Instantly, Venom’s head was hovering near, the connection now firing with concern. **“What did we do wrong? Are you hurting? We can stop-”** Eddie merely let his hand drop, revealing the grin. Silence settled as he sobbed, unable to break the smile that was beginning to hurt his cheeks.

 

**“You are… happy.”**

 

“Yes… we _are_ happy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have one more thing to share. If you are curious, I have set up a smallish playlist of songs that I listen to while writing symbrock: https://8tracks.com/fluffehpenguin/the-we-and-me-symbrock-playlist


	7. The Breaking of “We” to “Me”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeesh, this is the longest one!! Sorry for taking so long to update, I've been working on various other prompts and fics for this pairing so you'll see some of them soon. 
> 
> This is a nice angsty chapter with a lot of timeskips. The next one will be more me filling in on those six months and wrapping up. Just note, I am quite tired finishing this up so I apologise for any grammatical mistakes!
> 
> Big shout out the the symbrock discord who have become my endless inspiration for far too many upcoming fics.  
> If you wanna join us, heres the link: https://discord.gg/UAUA8R

Dan wiped a hand over his brow, trying to get his eyes to focus on the blurred numbers and various images in his hands. Reviewing all of Brock’s medical anomalies had left him flabbergasted and battered, mind unable to wrap around some of the pressing issues presented to him. 

 

“This… isn’t looking good,” he mumbled, Anne pausing her rapid typing to glance at his work. She set aside her mac-book, rolling over to focus her attention.

 

“What isn’t looking good?”

 

“Well,  _ a lot _ . Eddie’s monoaminergic neuromodulators seem to be increasingly low by the lack of activity in parts of his brain. Yet there’s these spikes that over take those same areas every few seconds... his medulla oblongata is also completely unread by the MRI and that’s not even going onto the more pressing issues,” Dan rattled off, tossing the images next to his foot. Anne fidgeted, licking her lips. “What’s the worst?” she asked, glancing at the papers. Dan took in a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. 

 

“Cancer. Eddie has Pancreatic Cancer. Looking at the blood test we did before he left, it looks like it’s close to level IV. Besides that? It seems some of his organs are failing. Oddly enough, it seems his pancreas has a  _ chunk missing _ -”

 

“Wait,  _ what _ ? Is that thing… is it  _ eating him?” _

 

Dan let those words and revelation settle within Anne, blinking owlishly at the data in front of him. “I… I think so,” he replied, his voice unnaturally bent with a graveness. Anne’s affronted expression became anxious, looking to her boyfriend. 

 

“There- is there… there  _ has _ to be a way we can help Eddie. He may have not been the best fiance, but he doesn’t deserve this… he isn’t a bad guy.”

 

Dan sighed, petting Anne’s hair and drawing her close. “I know you’re upset, love. I’ll do my best to think of an option for him. But you realise we have to find him first, right?” he responded, rubbing along her tense shoulders. 

 

“If anyone could find Eddie, it would be me,” Anne declared, a plan forming in her head.

 

“And I think I know how to separate him from that alien.”

 

* * *

  
  


The night air was refreshing but lost in the whirlwind of events. At least Eddie had a plan for once. He needed to expose Drake before more people were hurt. While Venom had been occupied with bothering him for food, Eddie had read through his emails, settling on the edge of the roof. He idly swung his leg, frowning at a suspicious address. He had skimmed over it due to the sheer amount of numbers in it. Yet he recently had received a total of  _ seven fucking emails _ in the past  _ ten minutes _ . He huffed and reluctantly opened them. His jaw dropped open. 

 

His own body was curled up on the ground, the composition of the shot gorgeous with the blood splattered on the cages. The next showed a grainy image of guards disposing of a severed arm, the rest of the body off screen. And then there was the Holy Grail. Drake was leaning too close to the container, his fingers hovering a few inches from the red hologram displaying vitals.  _ Day 6 _ . Maria was watching him with wild eyes, her eyes bloodshot with the meagre pile of food being offered- ignored by the crazed hybrid. 

 

While this was a breakthrough, Eddie felt a shot of adrenaline tear him to shreds. His breath picked up, placing his phone aside to wrap his arms around his shoulders. His vision swayed, finally realising how it would be so easy to fall. Inky tendrils coaxed him to lie back, stroking over his stomach and his tremoring arms. The gentle kneading eased away the panic attack, a worn smile stretching Eddie’s lips.  **Better?** Venom asked, a blob brushing up against his growing stubble. “You’re in my head, you tell me,” he mused, brushing his fingers over his navel where Venom had coagulated.  **Want to hear it from you, Eddie. Want you to tell us if you are alright,** the symbiote insisted, brushing claws along his scalp, pulling a satisfied groan from Eddie’s lips. “Hmm, I think… I thi-nk I’m good,” he said, stuttering as Venom hit one of his favourite spots. His skin vibrated where Venom clung to it, their form nuzzling up against his cheek. It baffled Eddie to know that this creature with disproportionately wide eyes could swallow a human head whole if it so wished.

 

“We need to get this to the news as soon as possible.”

  
  


Breaking and entering hadn’t been on the list. Yet neither was the full frontal assault made by the SWAT team. All in all, Eddie would have liked this to have been smoother- including the nearly being fucking dropped from however many floors of the skyscraper moment. 

 

Venom was purring at all the incapacitated snacks, desperate to chew off a head. They lurched forward, picking up the nearest body.  **“What a nice snack,”** Venom admired, jaws stretching wide while Eddie lost himself further into his other’s grip, blissful in the swarm. However he was disrupted by a shriek. A familiar one, at that. Eddie momentarily felt his jaw snap closed, teeth retracting into something blunt. They both changed direction, stumbling towards the figure rushing away at a trot. “Annie! Anne, it’s alright,” Eddie tried, sighing as Venom settled uncomfortably atop his back. She pause, turning at a perfect 90 degree angle, finger raised and mouth opening and closing. “Y-you… you nearly  _ ate him!” _ She hissed, pointing at the man that Venom had very much been planning to devour.

 

“N-no!”

 

**Yes**

 

“Alright, ma-maybe a little bite, but I’m fine now! Hell, we just gave in damning evidence of Drake! Isn’t that great? Even after all this, I think… I think we… we get along quite well, Venom and I,” Eddie tried to assure, reaching out to run a soothing hand over his ex’s shoulder. It was instantly batted away.

 

“You don’t know what is happening to you, Eddie. Please… you’re scaring me. Just… at least can we do a few more tests,” Anne pleaded, intent on saving her friend. Eddie had suffered enough and he didn’t need an alien to screw up more things for him. He frowned, pulling away for a moment.

 

**Something isn’t right about this…**

 

“She’s trying to help, V,” Eddie murmured, turning his head to try muffle it in his hood. 

 

**No… she’s sweating, heart rate is far too high. Her voice was shaking and forced. She’s** **_lying_ ** **to us, Eddie.**

 

He turned his head back to Anne, biting his lip in thought. This was the person he had trusted the most for the past 3 years. This is the person he had held high enough that he hadn’t realised how much sway she had held till he crashed from that pedestal he’d placed her on. But this was the alien who had risked their own life getting Eddie out of a situation that could have killed them both. The same creature that had consoled him in his worst moment and had explicitly called Eddie  _ “mine.” _

 

“Eddie?”

 

“I… I can’t. We can’t.”

 

“Eddie,  _ please, _ ” her eyes darted over his shoulder. Realisation hit like a ton of bricks. Dan was quick to stab in the tranquilizer, Eddie howling as Venom attempted to emerge. 

 

“You tricked us! You  **tricked and hurt us-!”**

 

They both collapsed as the drugs charged through their adrenaline fuelled rage, bringing them to their knees, Venom half formed around Eddie’s waist and his arm. Unable to fight it, Venom could only let Eddie fold as they furiously tried to fight it off from their own body.

 

“Step one done. Now to the hospital.”

 

* * *

  
  


Eddie woke thrashing. Venom was a mess in his mind, hissing and screeching as they began to come around after fighting off the massive dosage delivered into their host. He yanked against the restrains, desperation overwhelming him before he truly realised where they were. Lights passed overhead, the clacking against tiles telling him everything he needed to know. “Where are we going?” He demanded, eyes wild as they fixed on a familiar face. Dan ignored him, shoving the gurney past the other doctors and into… oh no.

 

“Get ready Annie!” Dan yelled, skidding to a stop next to the MRI scanner. Instantly, Venom was starting to swallow up Eddie. “Now!”

 

The both of them wailed in tandem, the splitting agonising. An inhuman noise tore through Eddie’s mouth as Venom bled out of his pores and nose, jerking about under the restraints. Venom was clinging to their host, Eddie trying to keep them together only to feel them slip so far out of his grip. In their panicked frenzy, Eddie managed to tear through one of the restraints holding him down, Dan ducking as he threw out an arm that had tendrils smashing a hole into the opposite wall.  **“How dare you!”** Their voices screamed as a last threat, Eddie going slack as the symbiote could no longer hold on. Venom tumbled out of their host, unable to deal with the waves battering them apart. Dan was instantly tugging his girlfriend’s ex out the room, slamming the glass door shut. He was heaving from fear, flinching away from the sealed off room as Venom slammed up against it. Anne turned off the machine, breathing heavily as she looked to Dan. 

 

Eddie gradually came to, mumbling as he pressed his free hand to his forehead. “Agh… Venom? Buddy, where are you?” His eyes widened as panic set in. Seeing Dan’s relieved expression brought pure malice to the surface. “What did you do?!” Eddie yowled, spitting and hissing as he used the last of his strength to try free himself. “Eddie, relax. It’s gone,” Anne attempted to sooth, placing a hand on her ex’s shoulder. He snapped and shoved her away, desperation aching and painful. When he glanced to the machine, his eyes widened. Venom was shoving themselves against the glass, slamming against it over and over. They were  _ hurting _ , no doubt weak after that blow. He shook his head, too exhausted himself to try break free. “You don’t  _ understand,” _ Eddie tried, looking to Anne, knowing he may still hold some sort of power over her. 

 

“ _ Please…” _

 

“You have cancer, Eddie,” Dan murmured, the other’s gaze instantly snapping to the doctor with a look of disbelief. “It’s been eating your organs, sustaining itself. It’s a  _ parasi _ -”

 

“ _ Don’t _ … Don’t you  _ dare _ call them that,” Eddie warned, his breathing beginning to escalate. 

 

“I’m assuming if it knows your body as well as it did, it also knew about the cancer. It’s manipulating you,” Dan said calmly, standing far from Eddie’s reach so he couldn’t punch or hurt the doctor.

 

“You nothing about Venom! You haven’t been through what I- what  _ we _ have-!”

 

“Eddie… you may not live for much longer if you aren’t treated. You don’t even know if Venom was healing you. It may have just been speeding it up for all we know,” Anne spoke, her back turned to her ex as she heard him beginning to break. It was soft hiccups, scared and tired. “They wouldn’t hur-t me,  _ they wouldn’t!” _ he claimed, resting his head back and trying to remember how that abyss swallowed him whole and held him so gently, like he was the whole universe it wished to bathe in. That ache in his mind hurt. It hurt much more than any sort of heartbreak he’d sustained. Another wail of Venom’s name choked out of Eddie’s mouth, the couple flinching at the raw pain behind it.

 

“He needs some time… I’ll take him to the ward.”

 

Anne nodded, rubbing her arm as Dan dutifully grasped the back of the gurney and whisking away his sobbing patient. She paused, memories flooding into the forefront of her mind. 

 

Eddie had always been one of those sensitive kind of guys. Less about insults and more just… unable to keep emotions at bay. It wasn’t like him to cry like this over nothing. She let out a shaking sigh, turning on her heel and glancing to the room the symbiote had been locked into- her mind short circuited. “You’ve got to be shitting me,” she whispered, fear spiking as she looked about in the room, trying to get a glimpse of a black smudge. Nothing. It was gone.

  
  


Eddie was so lost. He was breathing stale air, nothing polluting it with ink or the few moments when a sort of fondness would flow across their bond. He hated the fact that he was only a half. He hated that he’d betrayed by his only two friends, forced from the one thing that had cared about him more than anything else. But he couldn’t bring himself to hate either of them. They thought they were doing the best thing for him, thought they were helping. 

 

Even now, Eddie was falling apart without something to hold him together. 

 

The smell of antiseptic was not as brittle and harsh when he sniffed it as Venom, but oh god… memories piled up, his vision flickering. Suddenly it was all too dark. His chest was hurting, he couldn’t breathe. “V? Venom?  _ Venom?!” _ His voice cracked, head tossing and turning to try see where he was being taken. Were they going to stab him with needles? Lobotomise him to see how he ticked? What had changed? His whole body began to freeze up and shake, closing his eyes and trying to wish away the oppressive memories. He expected a familiar hand knitted in his own, soothingly rubbing a thumb over the back of his hand. The lights still stung behind his eyelids, body locked up with fear. 

 

“...ie? Eddie? Can you hear me?”

 

Dan’s voice only made the tears come. He forced himself to look, despite being terrified of possibly being met with Drake’s smug expression and a command for shocks to be administered. “Easy… that’s it,” Eddie’s whole body slumped, shoulders still taught but most of the tension released. That was Dan’s kind and worried expression, not the one that had ruined his life. “Yesh, I really lost you there huh, “ the doctor mused, inserting a drip to make sure that Eddie got enough nutrients.

 

“Please don’t hurt them.”

 

Dan paused, eyes widening in shock as he turned to look at the newest patient. Eddie’s eyes were bloodshot with specks of burst blood vessels, probably due to a combination of a lack of sleep and crying. He couldn’t help but soften. “I’ll make sure it isn’t used, alright? I may have to give it to the Avengers, but I’ll do my best to keep it safe-”

 

“Them… Venom is not a thing. They’re so much more, more than you could ever imagine…” The whisper was quiet, awed at the mere thought of Eddie’s other half. Dan nodded slowly, patting Eddie’s head. “Listen. I’m going to pop off and get some medication and some plans we can talk about- for your recovery. It may take a bit, so I’ll be back in half an hour,” Dan said. The other gestured with a thumbs up, clearly exhausted from the separation. 

 

Eddie had barely closed his eyes before there was a commotion outside his door. He sat up slightly, heart clenching with fear bolting up his spine. With the meagre amount of energy he had left, he tried to pry his other arm out from the restraints, breaking a fingernail trying to make the latch come undone. “ _ Fuck! _ Ow, ow,” he whined and brought his hand up to try get the blood to stop. Yet the next moment, the door was kicked in, eyebrows raising. These guys were definitely not Dan. In fact…

 

“Oh… we tried to eat you.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Anne had been pacing for a few minutes, contemplating whether to wait for Dan or go and look for him herself. Curiosity coupled with annoyance lead to an executive decision. She strode to the door, yanking it open. Striding out, she almost instantly found a roadblock. The dog that sat in front of her was staring. She frowned, trying to side step it. Except that it began to follow her, making a dash to sit in front of her path once again. She paused, eyes narrowing as she examined the creature more closely… oh. Oh no. Dog’s eyes weren’t meant to be a hurricane of greys and blacks. 

 

“Venom?” She questioned, hoping the thing wouldn’t respond. The dog gave a brisk nod, tail now sweeping the floor and tongue lolling out. Okay, it was a bit too long and slick for that to be normal either. She grimace, closing her eyes as if to will away this nightmare unfolding in front of her. She felt stuck in the middle of a horror movie with no way of getting out. 

 

A paw brushed her foot. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, pursing her lips. “Alright. I know you and Eddie are close, okay? I get that. I also get he’s upset that we had to separate you two. But you are  _ killing  _ him-” her voice caught in her throat as the dog’s maw snarled, revealing rows of teeth that could sink into her bones if it wanted. But instead of the teeth sinking in, something else slipped under her skin. She tried to scramble away as the symbiote invaded her cells, but the dog followed her, jumping up on her lap when she tripped on those  _ stupid fucking heels _ . She was hyperventilating, terrified as the dog gave a shake, tilted its head and leapt off of her skirt to go searching for its owner. 

 

**You know** **_nothing_ ** **of what Eddie’s insides look like, do you?**

 

Anne gasped, horror dawning on her expression. A concerned nurse came over, probably having seen her fall. Yet taking in her face and the sweat instantly building up on her forehead had her kneeling next to Anne and firing off questions as her face grew more and more pale. 

 

“Ma’am? Are you alright-?”

 

**He has perfect lungs, an amazing immune system-**

 

“You seem to be burning up. If you want to, you can come with me and we can get you checked-”

 

**-despite your human’s useless anatomy, and we knew** **_exactly_ ** **what we were doing. We have been** **_eating at his cancer_ ** **-**

 

“-out. Just take your temperature-”

 

**_We have been keeping him SAFE. KEEPING HIM FROM DYING. YET YOU STRIP US AWAY, ENDANGER OUR EDDIE-_ **

 

“ _ Could both of you just stop!” _ Anne howled, overwhelmed by the level of simulation. She could hear a conversation going on between two doctors to the left door, inside some sort of board room. She could smell the tinge of blood and antiseptic drifting from the open operating room. Pairing those with the multitasking of attempting to answer questions while an alien was yelling in your mind was a bit much. Both parties instantly shut up.

 

“T-there’s only me, ma’am,” The nurse murmured, clearly worried. “No, no, I-I’m fine… just some bad news is all,” she stated, shakily getting to her feet with the help of the woman, her smile gentle. “Well, I hope you get some good news soon,” she assured, patting Anne’s hand before walking off. Anne took a deep breath. In and out.

 

“Now. Explain to me, slowly, what is happening.”

 

Venom was quiet for a moment, trying to rein in the badly contained anger. They could not hurt Anne under any circumstance.  **We were eating Eddie’s cancer. We didn’t tell him because we knew it would distress him. Besides, it gave off adrenaline, something we could at least eat to keep us going. Yes, we had to eat some corners of his lungs or a nibble at his intestines to sustain ourselves, but we were planning to fix him once we could eat properly. We would** **_never_ ** **damage our perfect host. Our perfect Eddie…**

 

Anne took a moment to let that all sink in, barely getting a break before Dan came rushing through the halls, nearly tackling her to the ground. “Woah, woah, what’s the issue?” She instantly asked, eyes widening as she saw his lip was split and his eye was beginning to swell. 

 

“They’ve got Eddie.”

 

“Wait,  _ what? _ Who? Wh **o has Eddie?”**

 

Dan trembled at the voice that curled from Anne’s throat, but he shook his head, clinging to Anne as he took a deep breath, licking his lips.

 

“The Foundation. The Life Foundation has him.”

  
  
  


The drive was not awkward, per say. Yet, the tension whipping about in her chest with Venom hardly holding back emotions was making the drive quite unpleasant. 

 

**If he is hurt when we get there-**

 

“He  _ will _ be. That’s how Drake is. Yet, be prepared if we have to, ya know, hulk out.” Venom didn’t miss the irony in that statement.  **We are not green or that big, but we do enjoy to smash in our own way- take a right.** Anne swerved the car, yanking up the handbrake just to show off, stepping on the gas the second they straightened. It took a lot of concentration to bob and weave between the trees, yet Venom’s senses and secondary mind allowed for a bit of leeway.  **When we get there… we want to kiss him,** Venom stated, as if this was just another conversation. Anne slammed on the breaks. She looked over her shoulder automatically, feeling stupid for a moment. 

 

“Um, I’m sorry? You realise I’m here too, right? And what if I don’t want to kiss my ex, hey?”

 

**You** **_owe_ ** **us. You owe us for not just taking another host and eating up you and Dan. You owe us for getting Eddie into this mess, unprotected in his fucking fragile, fleshy, body.**

 

Anne groaned, hitting her head against the car’s wheel, not caring as the horn went off. “Why? Why me… alright, okay, fine. But after this, no favours that involve me sticking my tongue anywhere in my ex,” she said, turning her head as Venom made their terrifying appearance, teeth gleaming in the moonlight. 

 

**“** **_Deal.”_ **

 

* * *

  
  


This was  _ bad _ . 

 

Eddie had been threatened, shot and beaten to a pulp because of his stupid mouth. Except, he always had some sort of backup plan. This time, his backup plan of the backup plan had gone wrong. Probably because both of them involved the symbiote that could devour anything they wanted and could murder him and then revive him. Even as he stumbled into the fog filled forest, he merely let his feet numbly lead him to his death.

 

It was a very surreal moment.

 

It almost measured up to when he had finally bonded with Venom.

 

Being shoved to his knees and meekly surrender was not how Eddie wanted to go. “You are making a bad mistake,” he mused, trying to delay this as much as possible. “When Venom figures out what happened and who did it, you are all going to be eaten alive,” he idly chattered, coughing as a gun was shoved against his back. “What? The symbiote? It might not survive that long to even get half the distance. It’ll die like you. Pathetic, grovelling and  _ alone _ ,” Treece, the head of security, spoke. He was the guy that Eddie remember quite clearly to have slammed into him with an SUV.

 

“At least I’ll die with more hair than you-” Eddie hissed as the butt of the gun was shoved against his head. “You know, I’m going to enjoy killing you. You may be a nobody, but you’re a problem I’m happy to weed out.” There was barely a noise, except for the crunch of leaves and one stray twig snapping.

 

“Well… I think you’re going to have another problem… and it also happens to be  _ much _ bigger than you.” 

 

Eddie never liked gore. Yet seeing Treece’s head torn clean off and flung into the ground was more than satisfying. His gaze was easily captured when he was manhandled by a familiar yet incredibly unfamiliar form. “Venom,” he breathed, blinking down at the very clear breasts on the host they wore, completely puzzled and a bit unsure of where this was going.  **“Hello, Eddie,”** the symbiote replied, their face surging forward to press near desperately against his own. Eddie nearly sank to his knees as the slick tongue pushed passed his lips and down his throat. He was only left standing due to the grip on his shirt. Instantly, he was assaulted with the memories of their first and true joining. The one in the car had been nothing more than Venom wielding him as a tool. This was layered in smells, sights and things he would have never thought of remembering. The way a drop of sweat had trickled down his neck. The added thrill of rushing through a red light at speeds they shouldn’t be going at. The taste of fear that dripped off of the now deceased Treece and how he  _ squirmed _ .

He swam for the deeper waters, not caring for what may lurk beneath the surface, more than relieved to have his cleaned mind sterilised by the ink tumbling into his being. The absolute overwhelming nature of the symbiote drove him to dive under those waters, happy to drown in the array of emotions being shoved back into his mind. He returned those emotions with addled joy.

His mind was so dredged so deep that he didn’t even notice the velvet touch invading his mouth was no longer alien. Venom, however, was not. He was forced to stumble back, shaken by excitement and relief, licking at his assaulted lips. The blush on his cheeks swept over to his ears when he was met with his ex-fiance’s blank expression.

 

“I, uh…”

 

“It was Venom’s idea,” she stated blandly, looking away from him. Eddie wanted to be upset. Yet, all he could truly feel was the elation of being joined again.  **Only us, Eddie. Forever mine,** the symbiote promised, Eddie nearly bursting into tears when he felt a hand slot against his.

 

“Go on. Don’t let me stop you from saving the planet and all that. I’ll come and back you up,” she said, waving a head and turning back in the direction of her car. 

 

“Well… you heard the lady. Mask?”

 

**Copy.**

  
  
  


Fighting with Riot, knowing who was under that mercury skin, made them erratic and too callous. It was Eddie’s fault. When they tumbled away after being nearly digested by the much larger symbiote, he’d thought they had an upper hand for a moment. Eddie certainly took a moment to revel in the enjoyment of punching Drake in the face, however, despite the repercussions that followed. At first, he couldn’t comprehend why he was no longer stepping forward. But the conclusion to that question would haunt him for many a night. Looking down to see that muddy silver embedded through his chest was enough to have some bile mixed with blood surging up into his mouth. Eddie couldn’t even scream, his hands barely caressing the symbiote before he was carelessly dropped to the ground. 

 

Looking up at the stars, Eddie thought how they looked like all those lights that had blurred past him on that high speed chase. His mind was drifting, losing itself to the pain and wound that blossomed across his chest. Blindly, he searched in the emptiness, crying for help from that bond. 

 

Near instantly, a hand was holding his, shoving his head under. Nothing compared to being swallowed and pulled from a precipice he had nearly jumped off of, letting himself breathe in Venom- his... With a roar that shook the ground they stood on, Venom sprung after Riot, growling and hissing at the leader as they climbed inside.  _ The fuel tanks! V, destroy the fuel tanks! _

 

The familiar grin felt so good, confident and knowing of a victory. 

 

Claws running along those plates, ripping them to shreds, brought a certain satisfaction. They made to leap away.

 

The explosion was planned, yes, but Eddie hadn’t thought this through. He hadn’t thought how close to launch they were, how far they would have to be to come out alive on the other side of an inferno. 

 

They were wrung out of energy. Who could blame them after seeing a massive blade digging out through their chest cavity only to have to fix it moments later? But what followed hurt more. Venom screeched in agony, writhing along his whole body as they protected their delicate, human flesh from the searing heat. Even so, they had cradled him as the blaze consumed them. There was a rip through that concept of we, irreparable. It was excruciating, his mind not theirs but now just Eddie’s. Yet for a moment, he felt the caress of claws on his cheek. 

 

**Goodbye, Eddie.**

 

Eddie couldn’t help the scream, hands grasping at tendrils that burned up as he touched them. “No!  _ No-! _ ” When he hit the water, all his senses fell away for a moment of unconsciousness. In that moment, he saw an array of colours. Deep, vivid shades that were packed to the brim with emotions and words that could not be understandable in syllables. He bathed in that last piece of his partner. 

 

But when he went to gasp, all he swallowed was water.

 

Swimming to the surface was exhausting and getting to the beach was worse. When he collapsed in the sand, his mind was growing white. It was no longer swarmed with an encompassing abyss. His chest held no flicker of teeth and a tongue. He was alone. “Come on, V.  _ Please _ don’t do this to me. I- I get it now. I get it. We- we’re  _ perfect _ . Come  _ on _ . You have to be here. You can’t be gone, you just  _ can’t _ .” Eddie tore through his mind, ripping out childhood memories by the roots to try unearth his partner. He was shoving rosy images, all tinged and marred with slashes of blue, across his mind, wishing for a response. “Please… please… I- I  _ love _ you.” The words fell on a hollow mind. 

No echo. 

 

No reply. 

 

Just silence.

 

These weren’t sobs. They were heart wrenching howls, voice choked and lungs full of water. Tears joined the water lapping at Eddie’s shoes. His hands dug into the sand before he couldn’t stop beating his fists into it, desperately screaming for his partner- his other soul. 

 

No response. At least not from the creature he wanted it from. 

 

Annie came rushing over, stumbling and tripping to get to her friend who was unrelentingly yowling and breaking at the seams. “Eddie!” She yelled over his sobs, clutching onto his arm and trying to pull him to his feet. He merely let her drag him for a moment, unable to bring himself to move. What was the point? 

 

“They’re- they’re  _ gone _ , Annie. Venom’s gone,” he managed to gripe, finally clinging to the hand offered. As soon as he had made his legs stand, he turned back to the river. He tried to rush back in, wishing there was a chance- wishing he could clear that cleanliness from his mind. He knew better, though. He just wanted it all to end. Yet, Anne was fast. She grabbed him, wrestled with her ex before forcing him back to the ground. She cradled him in her lap, providing an anchor before he fell apart. Yet he was already far out at sea, his mind still locked with Venom’s fading emotions. Anne held his head tucked against her neck, brushing shaking hands through his sopping wet hair as he sobbed. His arms finally wrapped around his friend. “I’m so sorry, Eddie. I’m so sorry…” he could tell she meant it. 

 

That didn’t make it stop hurting though. 


	8. Falling Deeper (in Love)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **!!!MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING!!!**  
>  SUICIDAL ATTEMPT AND THOUGHTS.  
> SMUT IS INCLUDED TOO

It was hard. So  _fucking_  hard. 

Eddie had never thought this was going to impact his life this badly. At first, it had been surreal. The medics arriving on scene, asking so many questions he didn’t answer, just wouldn’t. He clung to Annie’s hand all through it till they had to cart him onto a gurney and straight to the hospital. The whole ordeal had sunk into his mind in a blur of white, all so painfully clean and devoid of a familiar pressure. There were no comforting hands gripping at his skin under the clothes, claws carefully winding down his sore neck and aching shoulders. When he barely responded to the doctors, they had decided he had brain damage until he finally piped up, despite how his voice shook from screaming for his other. They had been surprised, but kept him in for a few days to make sure. Landing amidst a crash site almost certainly meant he should have come out dead, let alone unscathed.

Yet he had. With barely a scratch to remind him of the whole mess. But that had come with Venom trading the ultimate price. 

When Dan and Anne had come to fuss over him, it made things even more difficult.

“Oh my god, Eddie...” Annie had murmured, squeezing him in a hug and clearly trying not to cry. While their relationship had been anything but steady, he knew he still held a part of her heart. It was at least large enough to have her care about his wellbeing, possibly more than he cared about his own. 

“Is... Is Venom still-?”

“Yes. I don’t think-” he took a deep breath, façade most likely falling to pieces, “I don’t think they’re here anymore.”

“But how are you feeling? I mean- you aren’t physically in pain?” Dan questioned. He was still a doctor and forever worried about the state of his patients. 

Eddie shook his head, sitting upright despite the shake in his arms. That lack of strength, of nothing holding him up when he was struggling, added one last twig to the bonfire currently ruining his mental health. He began to sob. Anne pulled back, her expression pleading and distraught. “We- I... I can’t do  _this_. I can’t- I can’t bare this. I’m so numb, so f-ucking  _lost_. Venom is gone, they’re gone and I just want them back,” he wailed, clutching at his stomach and letting the tears come. 

Anne tried to comfort him. Yet her arms couldn’t close up along his whole back and still have space to wrap around his stomach. Her body heat was too warm, not a soothing coolth that chilled the sweat that would pour down his spine. Even when Dan stepped in to hold a rotting man, it wasn’t enough. It could never be enough. No other symbiote or human could slot into that V shaped gap sitting in every fibre of his being. 

Venom was gone and they had taken Eddie’s last hope with them.

* * *

 

 

The numbness never stopped. 

That void that settled in the nape of his neck, in the space under his heart, in the tiny pockets of air between his organs and the cervices in his brain, began to radiate hurt. Not physically, no. Mentally, it took a massive toll.

He had tangled with depression more than once. It had been exhausting and full of tears. This. This was so much worse. That at least had an emotion. This held none.

He was drained, at the end of his rope and desperate for his other. He’d wake up with no hug around his shoulders or hand in his own, panting and screaming for Venom, hoping for a semblance of comfort. There was none. He forgot to eat, forgot to get out of bed. He forgot to shower, to change clothes. Yet he couldn’t forget Venom. He couldn’t forget how their last brush was enveloped with  _hope_ and  _caring_. It was too much and yet too little. Even now, he felt harsh tugs, gaze always drawn to the ocean and the peaks where the dethroned Life Foundation sat on to look onto its subjects. Even so, all he saw and heard was the explosion and the whisper in his ear.

**_“Goodbye, Eddie.”_ **

Quiet. He used to treasure every moment of it. Now it was just a reminder of what was no longer there.

He should have realised it earlier. Yet, it had only just been blossoming, new and mixed up with adrenaline and a fight to stay alive. He knew infatuation. He knew of whirlwind romances. He knew of one-night stands who’s meaning couldn’t stretch beyond a primal urge. He should have realised much earlier on that this was none of these. 

Eddie was in love. 

He was in love with an alien who he’d been forcibly bonded with only to find something that was kinder than most humans he had ever met. He missed the voice that sounded like a waterfall striking at the rocks at the bottom pool. He missed the tendrils rippling under and over his skin, dipping into knots and every intimate part of him, somehow making it feel as natural and acceptable as breathing. Yet what he missed the most was Venom themselves. He missed their terrible jokes. He missed their sarcasm. He missed the complements and genuine acceptance of his fuck ups. 

He was in love.

But his love was dead.

* * *

 

**_We need you, Eddie, don’t leave us._ **

Eddie looked out at the waves, swallowing each other as they reached the shore. He removed his helmet, inhaling the delicately salted air. He paused, looking back down the road, letting the wind tussle his hair and whip sand against his cheek. Swinging a leg off his bike, Eddie placed his helmet on the bars. Stuffing his hands in his jacket, he strolled down the worn sand path, admiring the scene. That compass that seemed to pull him in one direction had his feet moving automatically, not noticing he’d reached the beach until his shoes were soaked and there was spray speckling his face. He blinked, gaze locked with the stars and moon. Its cold light was comforting. His eyes shifted, glancing back up at the precipice he had stood at only three minutes ago. It moved to the sign peppered with a red hazard.

_“Beware! Riptides occur frequently on this beach”_

Eddie turned a blind eye, looking out to the water. Ever since he had been torn from his other, life had seemed so dull. Yet, looking out at the ocean stretching on like the sky above it, it rippled with stars, all fallen from the abyss from above. He slowly took off his shoes, pacing a few steps back to place them snuggly against the rocky outcrop of the cliffs above his head. 

He wanted this. 

No, he  _needed_  this. To taste something as close to his darling as possible. To take one last breath full of that ink, to sink and never need to get back up. 

Somewhere he felt like it was wrong. His logic clashed with the magnet dragging him to the foam. Yet his logic was drained from feelings tearing it apart. His feet sank in. Then his jeans became wet. His leather jacket floated for a moment before weighing him down, wincing at the idea of what the salt water was doing to it. At first, he merely let himself float on his back, staring up at something so endless and gorgeous that he didn’t even think about the lapping waves or how far he was beginning to go out. He was quickly yanked from his stupor when one of the waves surged over him, batting him under, water flushing into his nose and mouth. He came up gasping, blinking away the burn in his eyes, panic suddenly surging up his spine.  _What am I doing?_  He turned, strokes diving deep into the water even as his joints ached with the cold. That jerk in his chest was stronger than it had ever been. It took a few moments to realise he wasn’t going anywhere. 

Eventually, he gave up. 

He gave up like he had this morning, staring at the walls and hearing his thoughts knock around in the empty cavities that were infecting and eating away at his mind. The places Venom had inhabited were run over, like he’d had a chip in his tooth he couldn’t stop tonguing over. Like he hoped each time he’d come back that they would just be there. Yet, staring up at the sky, knowing many of those brilliant sparks were just remnants of dying or dead stars, left Eddie with a profound pain. He closed his eyes, wondering if it was worth it to try swimming again. He didn’t get that chance. 

A splashing to his left had pure terror racing up his spine. He grew slightly frantic, paddling his arms to try move away from the clear fin dipping out and under the choppy waters.  _Of fucking course I’m going to be_ _a_ _part_ _of the 2 percent that die because of a bloody shark attack_ , he thought, suddenly very aware of the barely crusted scars running along his wrists and nearly up his arms. He yelped as the massive creature bumped against his leg, furiously flinging out a leg in hopes to divert the thing, instantly feeling bad for both himself and the poor creature as it flinched from the kick to its side. That’s when another fin barely peaked over the waves. That diversion had snatched away his attention for a moment. It led to excruciating throbs flowing up from his leg, barely able to take a breath before the shark shook its head and dragged him under. Despite the dark and his own blood starting to singe the water, moonlight poured over the hulking mass. A Great White, must be. He wanted to scream, to cry and maybe pass out. Yet all he could do was stare pitifully at this majestic thing currently latched onto his calf. His eyes snapped shut and a few bubbles escaped his nose as its grip somehow tightened, feeling his leg snap with the force, a cry filling his mouth with sea water as it snapped down again, thrashing him about. 

With his vision fading, he let himself collapse into the darkness, wondering if anyone would find his body or if he’d even be remembered. Even so, the last thought in his mind was a clawed grip in his own, squeezing back.

However, his last waking moment was dashed with something much bigger, much darker than the sky and water swirling around him, slamming into the Great White clutching onto his leg. 

His eyes fluttered close.

**_No harm will come to you again._ **

Waking up was surreal. 

Eddie dug his hands into the somewhat warm sand, body shaking and mind still swimming at the bottom of the ocean floor. He shivered as the incoming tide tickled his bare feet, reminding him that this was not entirely real nor unreal. He tried to lift his head. It instantly came down when he raised it a few inches from the ground. Attempting to open his salt and sand crusted eyes only had him hissing at the fading moonlight, still too bright for the headache he sported. Gradually, he came to properly, running a hand over his face and instantly regretting it, having smeared more grains into his scruffy beard. 

He could barely stand, energy drained and body exhausted. He glanced out to the ocean, eyebrows furrowing. He paused and clapped his hands against his pants, eyes widening in shock. Only the tatters of rips in his favorite pair of jeans gave him a clue that his leg had been snapped in the first place. From the view in front of him, a glittering pool of diamonds that held a grave for those who strayed into the deadly water, something caught his attention to his left. He turned his head slowly, rubbing at his chest with the itch under his skin. 

He yelled and stumbled back from the mass of organs spilling out onto the sand, his eyes meeting with the depths of the Great White’s, gaze darting over the thing. He reached up a hand, shivering from the cold and adrenaline, to brush his fingers over the cuts marring the tough skin. His vision swam for a moment before he realised that his nails had sunk into the flesh, head snapping up after a measly attempt to ground himself. 

Inky talons had slipped at least 3 inches into the shark, the black swarming his hand and arm. 

Eddie shook his head harshly, face scrunching as his head swam. “No… no, they  _died_ , this… it can’t be real,” he tried to rationalize, yanking his hand back only to run his hands over his arms to try provide some comfort to himself. It happened more often than he’d like. “I can’t do this again…  _please_ ,” he cried, stumbling away from the corpse to hack up sea water, his lungs wheezing. 

**We made a promise.**

Eddie shuddered, a howl ripping from his throat. “ _Stop!_ ” He screamed, putting his hands over his ears. 

**“Turn around, Eddie.”**

“No, no… you're just a hallucination, you aren’t here!”

**“Please, love… look at us,”**

Eddie hadn’t been called love in a long time. He stilled, licking his lips and feeling more trembles fall down his spine. He took a breath that fell into the corners of his lungs, eyes screwed shut as he turned his head. He opened his eyes just as the sun peaked over the horizon. He was left breathless. 

Venom’s torso rippled like the ocean beside them, cast in the warmth of the sun’s waking rays. That grin was decidedly fond, their hands coming forward to grip at his tear crusted skin, thumbs rolling soothing circles over Eddie’s cheekbones. He stared blankly at the other, flabbergasted at the beauty in front of him. He was coming apart at the seams. His fingers tentatively raised to brush over the fluid, choking as he realised it was solid. Even as his legs gave, Venom was there, putting him back one stitch at a time. They held him close, not letting him fall as he sobbed, finally finding some semblance of strength to dig his nails into the other, to assure himself that they were there.  **“We called to you after the fire, wished to return. We knew you’d come, you’d come to** ** _us_** **, and you did- with no question or qualms…it gave us time to think- mainly about you, Eddie,”**  their voice soothed so many pains, letting himself lose all sense of self to the alien in front of him.  **“Our promise, to be with you forever…there’s something we -us- want. You humans are so complex, and what you want… please, just give us a straight** **answe** **-“** before Venom could even finish, Eddie desperately pressed his lips against the seam of the other’s mouth.

They were shell shocked, absolutely rooted as a surge of  _want, affection, relief_ and… and… they were pulled back to the moment when Eddie’s tongue flicked out. They were deliberate in opening their maw, careful as their host’s plump lips slid along their teeth. Eddie began to pull away, not expecting to find his mouth crowded with a tongue as thick as his wrist. He choked on Venom’s tongue, eyes lost as he opened them to stare at the symbiote, finally feeling that pit under his sternum fill. The knives adoring their hands lovingly carded through their host’s hair- their  _perfect_  host. They pulled away when Eddie made an inviting hum in the back of the throat that Venom was thrusting into, pulling away to brush away the drool lining the human’s chin and lips. The roar of the purr in their chest was forceful enough to disrupt their form, the black tendrils knitting them together gradually coming apart under the emotions completely enveloping the two. No- the  _one._

“I missed you… so much it hurt,” Eddie whispered, resting his forehead against the other’s chest as he collected his breathing. Venom’s face showed a clear grimace as they ruffled through the memories at the forefront of their host’s mind. A screech pierced the air as they shoved him backwards, the most recent emotions tainting the ocean view in moonlight and suicidal thoughts. He was practically gasping as Venom hovered above him, legs formed to cage in the other against the sand.  **“You will** ** _never_** **think of that again,** ** _understood?_** **”** They roared, anger and despair so close to flooding over the warmer emotions being shared. Eddie nodded feverishly, a blush blooming across his cheeks.  **“You are** ** _ours_** **. No one else’s and we** ** _forbid_** **you to leave us,”**  Venom crowded, jaws close enough to blow breath against Eddie’s cheek. He arched his back slightly, whimpering as the other brushed their tongue along the red skin on his face. “Yes, we’ll never leave again,  _never_  be apart, love,” he murmured, entirely consumed by the emotions threading through their bond. 

**“** ** _Love_** **…is that was this is?”**  Venom questioned, their mind swamped with that cocktail of endorphins and dopamine.

Eddie paused to think. 

“Yes… I- I think it is.”

**“Then never stop loving us… it tastes** **_delicious_ ** **.”**

* * *

 

The world fell back on its axis for once in Eddie’s life. He pampered his other, giving them chocolate and as many kisses as they wanted. Venom, in return, made sure to comfort and hold his host when nightmares came. When that void persisted and tried to undo all the careful stitches Venom had put back into their host. The memories of sterile clothes and cages, of trying to hold onto a hand that was long gone. Except, they were there still, just hidden in the ocean in a body built to be a predator and thrashing around waiting for their love, their  _darling_  Eddie to come to them. It was excruciating to realize what their host had set out to do that night. 

By losing Venom, Eddie had lost himself in the pit yawning for the abyss that he’d presumed had died in the explosion. 

It would take time to fully yank the other out of that pit. But they were making strides and small steps getting their beloved to the surface. At least Eddie had found his bike still parked at the top of the hill that night. Venom hadn’t laughed like that in a while... and neither had their host.

**“What shall we do today?”**  They enquired, caressing Eddie’s hair and gently scratching at his scalp with their claws. Their other half was almost fast asleep again, practically boneless against the duvet with a blissed smile on his expression. “Hmm… I don know,” he slurred, leaning into the touches being given. They hummed, glancing at the shred of light cascading for the window just behind it.  **“You’ve been… having dreams,”**  Venom tried, hand shifting to drag along his jaw and circle at his throat. Eddie stilled, a ferocious blush appearing on his cheekbones and spreading to his ears. 

“I- I have? Ah, Christ, are you talking about-?”

**“Yes, those ones… we were wondering if you do truly wish to mate,”**  They mused, leaning close to usher the words straight into Eddie’s ear. The human squirmed, shifting his legs and gnawing at his lip. “I…I’m not sure. We love you,  _so much_ , but- but are those really your emotions or mine?” He asked, bringing up a hand to brush against Venom’s jaw, the touch being pushed against.  **“Eddie… you know** **who** **se** **emotions those are and so do we. You’re scared, we know this as well. You fear if it is right, morally correct. Let us assure you we want this as much, if not** ** _more,_** **then you do,”**  they insisted, clawed hands coming to rest beside the other’s head. Those dazzling blue eyes swam like the clouds did through the sky on a clear day, a million thoughts all coalesced until they reached a decision.

“Alright… Alright, let’s try it,” he replied, nerves still buzzing with an edge of uncertainty. Venom was going to make sure those concerns were brushed away by blowing out Eddie’s idea of euphoria. A deep-seated chuckle ran out in the room, the host shyly shuffling his legs as fantasies unwittingly flowed to the forefront of his mind.

Venom grinned wide at one.

**“Ooh, we like** ** _that_** **one,”**  they sang, quick to grab at the other’s hips and yank him up into the air, flipping them as tendrils lashed onto the human. Eddie found himself suspended just above the other’s jaws, thighs trembling as the wish that was picked out was under no circumstance's vanilla. The thick and undulating tongue slicked a line along his ass and up against the length currently coming to attention under his underwear. His back arched as Venom’s tongue laved right over his cock, eyes blow wide and throwing his head back. A gasp was yanked from his lips as his underwear was torn at the seam, those claws shifting backwards to grab at his ass. “ **Pretty, our pretty Eddie,”**  Venom purred, a whine pouring out the host’s mouth as the tongue insistently ran over his hole, coating it and the cheeks around it with drool. “Hngh! Please... darling,  _please_ ,” he breathed, voice all quiet and drenched in want and affection. They paused to admire their love. For once, Venom lost themselves in Eddie. They delved into the aches of emotions pouring from both of them, letting the image of his lover sear into that bond. Hair as messy as it could be, the glow from the slit in the curtains illuminating his flushed cheeks and how his lip was caught between his teeth. They were blind sighted by the ignition of emotions that it caused.

Venom pushed past that precipice, shoving their tongue past the rim and letting Eddie fall all the way to their teeth with a cry of ecstasy. 

“Ahh,  _shit_ , love- “Eddie panted, barely able to keep holding himself like this as Venom pushed further, fingers curling into bruises. “Fuck!” he yelled as the symbiote found what it was searching for. Eddie’s jaw dropped open, huffs pushed out of his lungs as Venom slid their tongue against his prostate.  **You will only open for us like this. Leave your body singing only our praises. No other can bring you to such heights,**  Venom pushed, those claws leaving pinpricks on his ass. Eddie wept, nodding feverishly and driving his hips down. “Please, darling,  _please_ ,” he begged, near hysterical as precome slid down the underside of his cock and Venom withdrew to just lap it up.

A hum permeated the air before the alien let the other rest, making sure to brush away the tears rolling down their host’s skin, chasing drops of sweat with their tongue at the same moment. “ **Tell us, Eddie. What do you crave?”**  They asked, nuzzling at the dip just next to the member currently aching for attention. “Venom,  _love_ , take me- please, just  _fuck me already!”_ He cried, a hand coming to grip the head so close to where he wanted it to be. The symbiote smirked, that growl of a laugh sending vibrations along Eddie, a sigh passing between his teeth. It took a bit of shuffling to settle again, but it helped when your partner could faze in and out of your body. 

He closed his eyes, letting himself fall back into that abyss he craved so often. He found himself truly surrounded, hands with claws made to slice open carcasses and skin were now holding his chest and ribs with the utmost care. Feeling the stretch of Venom plunging their slick cock into his ass was nearly enough to tip him over the edge, face pressed to the pillows to try muffle the moans. Yet he couldn’t help the laughter as one of the claws brushed over a ticklish spot right under his third rib. “Mmm, it feels so nice, love,” he assured, smiling as the other traced a line of slick along his spine, chuckling as the other’s forehead butted against his shoulder blade. It was slow, a rhythm made to rock and tease. He tried to shove back against the pressure, ending up with a shout ripping out his throat as he hit  _the_  bundle of nerves. “ **What... what was that?”**  Venom asked, Eddie properly laughing as he felt the other snuffle against his neck, the symbiote’s grin significantly softer as they continued to assault the area, loving each of their host’s happy noises. Eventually Eddie got the better of them, peppering kisses all over the supposedly terrifying visage after wrestling around onto his back. He knew better -that there was something far beyond a vicious creature in front of him.

“ _Venom!_ N-no, sto _p that!”_  They finally pulled away, leaving a nip at his ear for good measure. “Thank you, God...It’s called a prostate... it, um, it makes me feel really,  _really_ , good,” he mused, leaning close to peck them between the eyes, the white ovals contracting into crescent moons. “ **Oh, we see... hey, Eddie?”**  They shifted just a little, reminding him of the thick appendage lodged up his ass. He whined quietly before nodding, watching the other from where he lay on his back. “ **We love you,”**  Venom murmured, grabbing him by the hips to thrust roughly up into their lover. Eddie gasped, back arching with a choked sob leaving his lips. He clung to the symbiote, not minding when they let his hands sink into the darkness and tendrils caress every inch of skin. He failed to hide any of the noises pushing past his lips, his mind utterly open for the other to filter in feelings as pure as their liquid form. All heavy but somehow light at the same time, the weight of the word  _“love”_ being echoed in his own mind. 

“Ah, hmm- V, Venom, love,  _darling_... Hah, I- We... we love you too,” Eddie managed to stutter out, breath mostly used to fill his lungs rather than articulate words. He closed his eyes, head flinging back as Venom snarled and struck right into the bundle of nerves that threw sparks behind his eyes. Just a tad bit of adjustment had him practically screaming, tears of euphoria beading his cheeks. The symbiote was flung about the room, black tendrils whipped out to the ceiling and walls with five hands all fondling and practically worshiping his skin. Eddie yelped as one found his ridged cock, strokes matching the thrusts perfectly, even when the symbiote sped up. “ _God_ , shit... ah, ah, Venom- V, I’m clos _e-!”_ The flood gates of what the other was experiencing was like being thrown into the deep end of something so profound that Eddie was excited to drown and revel in it. He boxed his own up pleasure and tossed it from where he floated in his mind scape. 

At the same time, they both curled closer, a roar wrenching from Venom’s throat while a yowl resonated from Eddie’s. Millions of stars danced across his vision when he finally opened his eyes, realising with a start that his other was lapping over a massive wound in his shoulder, a sheepishness evident in the excitement and satisfaction simmering between them. He hissed at the tender pricks of teeth lining his collar bone, Venom bumping their face against his own. “ **Sorry... you just smelt too good not to take a bite,”**  they said. Eddie squeaked, fucking  _squeaked_ , when Venom withdrew, his cheeks flushing a cherry red as he felt cum leak out his ass, lower lip pinched between his teeth. The symbiote chuckled, leaning forward to press their forehead against his own. “It’s fine, I’m fine,” he mumbled, brushing a hand over the other’s head. He sighed, a smile lingering on his lips as Venom ran a hand over his stomach. He winced as he felt his own load being spread. Except, the symbiote was quick to clean up the mess with their tongue, Eddie shivering as he felt the ripple of fibres along the muscle. “That was amazing,” he mused, lying back and enjoying the feel of that familiar darkness consuming every plain of skin that they found. “You meant that... right?” He asked, drawing himself upright, only remaining there with the help of his other, the weight of their hand comforting on the bottom of his spine. 

Venom’s eyes narrowed, tilting their head while a deep itch in the back of his head started, grumbling as the other searched for just a moment. The kaleidoscope of pastels and iridescent colours widened while a snarl settled on that previously gentle expression- well, as gentle as the rows of shark teeth could be. 

“ **Don’t you** ** _dare_** **, Eddie!”**  They howled, both of them flinching at the anger and fear that was exchanged. The symbiote forced themselves to calm, tendrils withdrawing into something more human, gathering the muscles and tendons to grab onto Eddie and hold him close. 

“ **We meant every syllable, every letter and every word. You are** ** _mine_** **,** **Edward Charles Allan Brock** **... and we are** ** _yours_** **.”**

Fighting off tears, fighting off old demons with single minded determination, Eddie leaned forward to capture Venom in a kiss.

When they opened their eyes, they had both sunk into that abyss.

It tasted like late night chocolate binges, strawberries and something akin to an insatiable thing called love.

* * *

 

 

The next three months went as smoothly as someone with an alien partner might expect. Venom had become something of a local and modern cryptid, a myth that also ate people and left headless bodies every three weeks. That number was subject to change if Venom decided to be broody. 

Eddie had come to accept that the fondness in his chest was that terrifyingly human concept called love. He had been haunted by failed relationships at each turn. He had been chased away from it by depression and self-loathing. Yet, Venom stayed with every single fault visible and open for them to watch back in startling HD quality. 

For the symbiote, Eddie was an enigma of self-sabotage and kindness. He was perfect. So full of life and potential he had no clue he harboured it. They had made sure to make it realised each and every morning. Waking up the host with their favourite blend of coffee, milk and sugar measured to the T. It was being served with and for affection on a daily basis. Sure, they had their moments. Eddie would grow irritable with lack of sleep and stress from his new freelance work. The money could run tight at times. Venom would be too insistent, a tad too present at the wrong times. They threw tantrums and were undeniably jealous no matter how many times they denied it. 

But that was all fine for those mornings. 

A tendril lovingly stroked Eddie’s hair, working its way to his jaw as Venom fixed up some of the ache in their host’s body after last night’s romp. He stirred, the symbiote leaning down to nudge him awake as his phone went off. “Hmph... V... let me... let me sleep,” he tried to push the maw away. That was until that particular spot on his ribs was attacked. Eddie jolted awake, nearly screaming with laughter as the alien chortled with the flush of chemicals in their host’s mind. “O-Okay! I-I'm up, I’m  _up_!” he howled, batting at the dozen or so tendrils poking and prodding at him. Venom happily settled back into their preferred spot, right at the nape of their lover’s neck. 

**Annie is calling again. We should see her, maybe get her recipe for those brownies.**

**“** I’ll ask her, alright. But remember, we don’t tell her till our birthday,” Eddie assured, yanking the phone as Venom came out in that tiny form his partner adored so much, bobbing up and down in agreement. With everything still being worked out and the logistics of revealing something as intimate and new as their relationship, it was better to keep Dan and Annie guessing without causing direct worry over Eddie’s being. Especially while he was just starting to get his life back on track.

“Hey Annie!”

“Eddie! Dan and I were wondering if you want to come meet us for dinner at this new steak house,” she practically sang, Eddie glad that not even a squeeze was felt in his stomach at the happiness in her voice.

“We-  _I_  would love to! What’s the occasion?” He asked, knowing the couple didn’t actually go out that often. Dan’s cooking was spectacular when he followed a recipe. Even when Eddie had barely been able to shove a sandwich down his throat, his plate had always been swept clean when he came over. Anne had told him if Dan experimented the place usually smelt of banana and something like burnt fish. He wasn’t the best at improvising. 

“It’s a surprise. Besides, we haven’t seen you in a while,” she said, a knowing smile now sitting easily on his expression.  **Eddie, you don’t think...?**  

“We’ll- Well, I’ll see you later. Text me the details,” he replied, ushering out a goodbye and hanging up. He sighed, letting the stress slip off his shoulders, running a hand over the deep imprint of his partner’s teeth sitting on his left collarbone. “ ** _Eddie._** **What are you thinking about?”**  Venom’s voice was teasing, a hand materialising to knead at his hip. “I’m wondering what they have to surprise us with... and whether we may not have to wait for when they  _legally_ can’t ruin my day,” he chuckled, running his fingers over the other’s. “Besides, I have two ideas of what they might try to surprise us with.”

Venom hummed, resting their chin on top of his hair, taking care to breath in the scent of citrus and honey from his conditioner. “ **We shall teach the baby to hunt when it is born,”**  they declared, already enamored with the idea after learning about human children. Raising a defenseless creature into one of the world’s deadliest was fascinating to Venom in how it occurred. Eddie laughed, the sound far better than that of the meditation tapes their partner often played. 

“Tell you what, we can baby sit sometime- and  _no_ , that does not mean we sit on the baby,” he was quick to explain, feeling a rush of excitement and relief from the symbiote. Ever since they had begun to claim their new relationship and delve deeper into one another, Eddie had become more and more in tune with Venom. It also helped when tearing criminals limb from limb.

Their nearly pure white eyes had grown to almost envelop the tiny head.  **“You promise?”**  Venom questioned, having drifted to look him in the eye. “I promise,” he confirmed, leaning forward to peck the other on the forehead.

_“How’s it going over there?”_

“It’s alright, not much to report. He mostly stays inside and hasn’t eaten anyone in,” Glancing at her watch, Natasha was quick to assess the number. “2 weeks. Will deliver the message soon... How are you sure this will work?”

_“He’s an investigative journalist who_ hates _big_ _corporations._ _How could_ the _Eddie Brock miss having an interview with the one and only Tony_ _Stark._ _We’re bound to catch Venom one way or another._ _”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest piece I have ever written and its my first multichapter Fic to ever be finished. A GARGANTUAN shout-out to the [Symbrock Squad Discord](https://discord.gg/teHXdm), ya'll are my bread, my butter and my pudding (click the link if you want to join).
> 
> This is going to have a sequel. I will be taking a break from this AU though, as it was very heavy to write and the sequel is going to be worse. 
> 
> Thanks again for reading this whole shebang, and I hope ya'll enjoyed it and are satisfied with the ending!!! (except for that cliffhanger).

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so uh. I still write fan fiction apparently. This comes from an AU idea from @venomtots mentioned at the end of these notes. Yes, I know this idea is being used by (possibly) multiple people. I'll do my best put a spin on stuff and all, but again, I wish luck to everyone using this awesome AU! Also this work will probably not have a Beta so bare with me.
> 
> ( https://venomtots.tumblr.com/post/179347834428/so-my-spouse-and-i-were-talking-and-yall-know )


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